


Things we do for love

by Cinicalamente



Category: Dr. STONE (Manga)
Genre: Angst for everyone except Sengen, Angst with a Happy Ending, Characters background stories, F/M, Fake Character Death, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and everything nice is for sengen, Gen, Light Angst, M/M, Pre-Relationship, Psychological Novel, Psychological character development, Realistic Xeno, Revenge, Slow Burn, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-12-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 91,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25516207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinicalamente/pseuds/Cinicalamente
Summary: Loving someone means even to be ready to anything for them: lie, protect, change for trying to be a better version of themselves, and even kill another person.Everyone - even the most incoherent one - makes choices according to what their heart asks. And consequences are just the price they pay for them.Aka how I fix the Dr. Stone American days arc before it even finishes.Important note: there are a lots of fanservice so every scene between two characters may be read differently according to who ships which couple plus Sengen.● Spoiler for anime watchers and who hasn't reach the current narrative arc yet (technically is spoiler even for me that I'm writing but I already know that this is illogical for the canon line, ops). ●(Almost) Daily updates because it's me against time.
Relationships: Asagiri Gen & Ishigami Senkuu, Asagiri Gen/Ishigami Senkuu, Dr. Xeno & Stanley Snyder, Kohaku/Stanley Snyder, Stanley Snyder/Dr. Xeno (destructive)
Comments: 74
Kudos: 129





	1. Z=160 Nomen omen

**Author's Note:**

> ♡ I try to make it more similar to the manga story but not its structure because ff and manga chapters are different. Unluckily I can't draw. And character may look a bit ooc for canon, perfect for fanon.
> 
> ♧ I make it short but I like how the story goes. Idk what will happen in the canon one but I like more this one lol
> 
> ♤ I would do something differently in this arc but I'll start from the last chapter aka 159 one. It's more focus on characters and their choices/memories than true science, I'm sorry but I'm dumb for that side of knowledge. Hope you enjoy it anyway!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If the Latin saying nomen = omen is true, meaning that the name describes what we will be... [...]"

"Where's Senkuu?"

Ryuusui didn't have time to take a deep breath and calm down. Once again, he needed to take charge of the situation but couldn't think how. He felt powerless - what a paradox for the most powerful heir of the Nanami family - above the discovery that a sniper kept them under observation and above all that one or more bullets had probably hit one of the most important people for all humanity and above all a friend of his.

"Where's Senkuu?" He kept shouting even if soon he would find him, probably not hurt, after all he had science on his side, he would make it. "Where's Senkuu?" He repeated but his cry for help became a whisper between the screams of the rest of the crew.

  
  


"Ryuusui-sama, follow me, please!"

Ryuusui felt himself grasped by Francois' small hand and dragged across the threshold to their bar, where the butler had stayed during the assault. The first thing he saw was some glasses and bottles that had fallen to the ground due to the impact, and even that was enough to make him vibrate with anger... then he saw him.

Senkuu still seated, with his back against the counter, his hands clutching a sack that apparently slowed the rush of bullets against his chest. And of course there was blood.

So much blood for a marginal wound, little blood for a lethal one. It was then that Ryuusui, Captain Ryuusui, understood what he had to do. He straightened up and turned his back on Francois who had approached Senkuu to provide him first aid, not before having looked at him. Those two didn't need words to communicate.

Everything was clear.

Then he took the deep breath he needed so much not to betray himself in front of the crew who had piled up at the entrance.

He looked for the spy, but that girl, as expected, was gone. Then he begged everyone to go out and stood in the center of the ship, measuring with the steps of his boots a point where he was the most visible. He turned naturally and punctuated the phrase he never wanted to say in his life with clarity and with deep sadness in his heart.

"Senkuu is dead."

\---

  
  


"Senkuu is dead."

Xeno narrowed his eyes and put a hand on the headset. Stanley's voice would never betray him and if he was saying that Senkuu was dead, he really was.

"Finally, the world will be ours, Stanley!" He replied but his tone was not enough to deceive him.

"Did you regret killing such a young boy? A boy you apparently knew?"

Xeno swallowed, harpooning both armrests of the armchair. He was too old now to regret.

"Without their doctor, they have very little to fight with. They will certainly line up with us, probably tomorrow," he muttered and Stanley wondered if it was appropriate to repeat his question. "I'm the only person who can change the world, I don't need rivals... and I have you."

"I didn't think a dictator could be... I don't know where Luna is, go find her alone! Don't you see I'm busy now?"

"Stan?"

"Carlos," he replied annoyed by the interruption. "He and his obsession for that little girl! Do you hear what we do? Do we remain under observation? Do we have to kill someone else? Like the prisoner, the magician or whatever he is?"

"I'll take care of him... no, come back here it's late and don't kill anyone anymore. Shoot only if necessary for your safety. Senkuu probably even if he's not... he wasn't a violent type, he will have always made some weapon..."

"Don't worry, we know how to defend ourselves... over and out."

"Over and out."

\---

Being the 'voluntary' prisoner of the Americans was not so bad, but Gen was intelligent and knew well that he could not trust them - and anyone in general - just because they didn't twist his hair and kept him in a room in human conditions. Contrary to popular belief the hostages were more useful when they were alive (safe and sound) than dead. Useless was probably the only adjective that no one would ever use to describe Gen.

The woman who guarded him was not a pleasant company, but she wasn't even as evil as she seemed. He always left her meat ration and she seemed to have taken a liking to him for that enough to allow him short walks in the garden and in the corn fields.

However when Xeno entered the _'prison' that day,_ asking his colleague to leave them alone, the mentalist just felt a shiver of terror went down his spine.

Xeno was one of those people who waited for me to turn around to hit you in the back, someone who had made elegant his favorite word, but who showed no sign of interacting with other people, especially if they hindered his plans. Rather childish on his part, probably to answer something he still couldn't handle.

Gen had heard it.

He had heard the orders Xeno had given to Stanley, he had heard every single movement and breath beyond those walls. However, many words were lost beyond the wood and bricks that made up the steampunk castle in which they were located.

  
  


"Mister Gen," greeted him as his habit and Gen remained still, sitting on the bed, showing himself weaker than he was.

The first time they had escorted him to the room, they had also made jokes that he would finally sleep in a real bed, not on the floor like the samurai.

He had made an effort to laugh, he had said he would pass quickly but it had not been so.

  
  


He nodded.

"Dr. Xeno."

"Your friend is dead," he announced unceremoniously as if he were talking about the weather. However Gen noticed her fingers tremble for a single moment. "Stanley just told me he shot him."

"No!" The mentalist exclaimed, feeling a lump in the throat. He could lie, it was true, but even someone with Taiju's resistance could not be repelled bullets. After mentioning his name, Gen had repented. Taiju was resilient and would do anything to help Senkuu, but he was also his closest friend. The only one who had been with him since he was a child. Senkuu would never forgive him. Gen closed his eyes and reopened them to curb the tears. "No, he can't be dead! Yuzuriha..." he whispered, immediately thinking of the two of them together and how much his lie had cost everyone too much. The girl's name had escaped his lips, probably condemning her too, another innocent, to death.

Obviously Xeno had heard it.

"I don't know who Yuzuriha is... it's by chance..." he stopped, putting a hand to his face. The [nail rings](https://twitter.com/cinicalamente/status/1288952357162823681?s=19) he wore shone in the moonlight from the window, tingling against the collar buckle. "An important person for Senkuu Ishigami?"

Hearing that name, Gen's heart skipped a beat and rose to approach the doctor. He had to be careful that his body betrayed no emotion about it.

Xeno cocked his head to look at him better.

"Exactly, I know that name was fake, Mr. Gen. Dr. Taiju was a blatant attempt at distraction. Senkuu was the man I was looking for and I made sure he couldn't get in the way anymore. The one and only Senkuu Ishigami, son of the Japanese astronaut Byakuya."

Faced with the silence of Gen, who was looking at him motionless, Xeno continued.

"Yes, I already knew Senkuu. And his father. I probably knew him before you, he probably remembered me too but... I couldn't do otherwise."

Hidden by the wide sleeves of his kimono, Gen clenched his hands into a fist against his hips. _He had seriously killed Se... no, it wasn't possible._

  
  


Among the words that gripped his mind, the most selfish and true ones made space by silencing the other thoughts: _'Everyone but him, please'_.

However he had to go on, to avoid that doubts could arise. To behave as the man before him expected. Tears ran down his face, wetting the scar that had made him less lonely, equal to Senkuu even after losing it.

And now he would also lose his war paint, he would fall to hell on his own, Senkuu would probably have waited for him in front of his gate, forgetting about the civilization he had failed to bring back to life.

He didn't want to cry, not in front of that killer.

"Well... what do you want to do with me now? Kill me? Torture me? Send my body piece by piece on the ship?" He asked, hoping he wouldn't notice his red eyes. He made no effort to appear dull. Part of him was sure that Senkuu was saved. If there had been a god, the same one they both talked about and to whom they silently asked for forgiveness every time for the good of the world, he would never have allowed Senkuu to close his eyes forever like this. Victim of someone with pure lust for power.

Gen looked down as he spoke.

Suddenly all the tricks to convince his interlocutor were gone from his memory. He had killed his Senkuu. As long as he had no way of seeing it for himself, hope was as useless as a broken umbrella on a rainy day.

Senkuu was dead.

And with him the whole of humanity.

Ishigami village and its founder had lost the most important person again.

He had lost him.

"These are all barbaric options, don't you think, mister Gen? You have to show some elegance, after all... and you, my dear friend, have eluded my machine with your little lie. It was rather rema..."

"So do you want to kill me? Is killing elegant now?" He cut him off carelessly. He just wanted him to shut up.

Xeno reached out and without being able to stop he wrapped it around Gen's neck. His grip was weak, a sign that he didn't know what he wanted to do either.

"I am proposing you to work for me. By now your scientist is dead and I like liars like you, I didn't already tell you, did I? Eventually all of you will join my kingdom. Don't worry, I will be good. You work for me and I won't kill you."

His fingers tightened slightly on the cloth. Gen gasped even though he didn't actually need air.

_'Let's get it over with this'_ , he thought.

"You are so charitab... le, Xenophilius," he said, giving life to what he had been thinking for some time now.

Xeno hated his full name. Gen couldn't have known, even if the marked use of the diminutive had made him suspicious. Xeno remembered the first noble gas whose compounds were ever made, far more elegant and in line with what science meant to him, which was why he had forgotten the long name his parents - or one of the two, but that's another history - had gave him.

"It's hard to escape from what our name makes us," Gen explained, showing his determination, even if his legs were shaking and threatening to threaten to drop him from one moment to another. He couldn't understand himself. He was afraid of the man who could have killed him, but at the same time, he could not keep silent. "I heard the name Xenophilius in Greece and I liked it immediately. It has a very deep meaning, doctor. It means _'love for the foreigner'_ . But you don't love us, and luckily I'm not a person who suffers from Stockholm syndrome or who he doesn't know that a murderer remains one, even with a tearful past story," he explained, taking a breath at once for fear of being interrupted, but Xeno did not. "If the Latin saying nomen = omen is true, meaning that the name describes what we will be... I'm sorry, Dr. Xeno, but in this stone world there was, there is and there will always be only and one person only capable of dominating it like a god and it's not you. Do you know what _Ishigami_ means in Japanese, Xenophilius? Exactly, God of stone. And you can never be like him. Never."

He would have expected another nervous breakdown as before but Xeno didn't move, he didn't comment. He merely stared at him with half-closed eyes, without a clear expression so as not to alarm him.

  
  


"You lied to protect him, you react as if you don't care about anything... even a not genius can see it… Senkuu was very important to you, wasn't he?"

Gen preferred to not reply and perhaps to not attract his anger even more. But the man simply turned and opened the door. Just in the doorway, he added, "Condolence for your loss."

"Most sincere, I guess. You made it happen, after all," Gen said and even when he was alone, he didn't know where he had found all that strength to face him.

But he needed it now more than ever.

He needed all the strength he had to not cry for Senkuu's death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- I think more that Xeno name is after the noble element and not Xenophilius but Gen monologue was too cool to not write.
> 
> \- I don't like people suffering and some of psychological side in dr. Stone is regularly missed, this ff happen!


	2. Z=161 Past life is the past for a reason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When they threw the red water from the ship, Francois looked at the horizon, taking off their gloves, no longer white, but streaked with innocent blood once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ◇ I forgot to put a note for nail rings of Xeno last chapter. Practically I call them like that because I saw them on wish even before Xeno appeared in dr Stone chapter. I don't know how to put links in notes yet but you can find it in the other chapter!

"It can't be, SENKUU!" Taiju shouted, trying to make Ryuusui move. The other guy tried to fight him with all his weight. Only when Taiju realized that Yuzuriha had started to cry, he let himself be embraced by the captain and he started to sob too. "No... Senkuu..." he shouted. "Not again!"

Ryuusui looked down and pushed Taiju next to Yuzuriha, leaving them some time to realize that they could never see their best friend again, at least for the moment. They had to seem desperate and above all they had to convince those who were looking at them - because Ryuusui still felt their eyes on them - that the whole Perseus crew was now in mourning.

"Losing a person like Senkuu is not easy, losing a friend is not easy. We hoist the black sails, retire to pray for his soul and after the funeral, we will return to Japan. I trust in you to warn our friends that we have lost... we can only give up now."

Minami frowned, exchanging a quick glance with Homura. She was not the only one who found the talk of the greedy Ryuusui somewhat strange, but for those who knew Senkuu better above all, everything went into the background.

"I'll call Tsu-chan!" Minami also volunteered and took the other girl by the hand, who blushed at the thought of being able to talk to Hyoga, even if only via a signal.

Ryuusui followed them and only when he joined them, he whispered: "No, the only ones you can talk to are Chrome and Kohaku but tomorrow morning. Senkuu had to communicate an encrypted message to the other team and therefore you cannot speak to them," he explained. "They keep an eye on our communications. Don't say names except Senkuu's, just tell them they have to go back to the ship immediately. It's an order, I trust you, journalist."

"But Ge-" 

"He will arrive soon. This dr. Xeno will use him to communicate his decision with us. Homura," Ryuusui interrupted his explanation (Minami would not have found it annoying to hear him talk about the plan that knowing him, he surely already had in mind) to call the gymnast. "The rules also apply to you, show yourself heartbroken, but keep your words to a minimum, every detail revealed to the enemy can be a double-edged sword and above all do not speak in the radio room. Koh-"

"Can't we call them now?" Minami interrupted him. "How w-"

"As I was saying, Kohaku and Chrome are impulsive, they could act on their own or even seek the support of Tsukasa and Hyoga who are the strongest fighters. As we are tired, the enemies will be too, they can't pass the whole night to control us, am I wrong? And even if they were, we are in mourning. We have lost a friend and all we have to do is rest."

"Should we call the priestess too?" Homura asked and Ryuusui nearly turned pale. He had focused too much on what it looked like to fool the enemy who had forgotten that for everyone - including them except him and Francois - Senkuu was dead.

"No, it's not important at the moment, we just have to take advantage of what we have to our advantage," he replied without even tried to find better words.

"I can't believe it! You really are heartless, Nanami Ryuusui! Talking about Senkuu's death as if he was just a commitment to fulfill. Come Homura, I don't want to talk to him for a second more!" Minami muttered and Ryuusui, left alone, convinced himself that it was better that the others thought he was heartless than they realized that Senkuu was still alive.

\---

Still hidden in their bar, Francois had stripped Senkuu and wet the gauze to clean him of the blood and residues of the dust to prevent the wound from becoming infected. Until they wasn't done with that yet, they couldn't move him from there. They had lowered their head when they heard the shots and hoped that Senkuu had not also suffered a head injury in the fall.

Francois' delicate hands did not neglect even the smallest detail, making sure that all the lacerations - which accompanied the central one on the chest - were in the best conditions to heal. They suspected he would probably have a scar left on his chest, where the sac had put more pressure, but it was certainly preferable to death.

With each movement of the cloth, the boy's skin became lighter, leaving only water from the pinkish halo to slide on his slender hips. Senkuu's body temperature was also higher than before. Francois had expected it, fever was one of the body's defenses when faced with a critical change such as an operation or physical trauma. The human body was ready to respond to every action to restore order thanks above all to medicine.

In the stone world everything had become more difficult, but certainly Senkuu would have fought and just recovered, devised something to reduce the pain he was certainly feeling. For now, Francois could only use some disinfectants that they had prepared before the trip.

They dried him with a dry and soft cloth, taking with their other hand that one they had put on his forehead before to bathe it again in clean and cold water. Until they wasn't done, they couldn't cover him and let him rest more on a more comfortably place.

Then there were still the enemies who would have wondered why Senkuu's lifeless body had not yet moved. In Arabic countries it was customary to make sure that the deceased was well cleaned before the burial, Francois would have asked the communications team to tell something like they wanted to make Senkuu be worth to his afterlife to dispel any doubts in case they were spying on them.

The butler worked quickly and silently, occasionally observing the features of Senkuu who was breathing heavily. They carefully raised their ear to his mouth to check if his breathing had any abnormality and praying that no bullet had caused him lung damage.

When the rag they was using to clean him was completely clean, Francois dried him thoroughly and wrapped a blanket and a towel around Senkuu that they would have pulled on his face only when Ryuusui would have moved him to hide and lock in one of their cabins.

Francois would have checked him a little more before using alcohol to lower his fever.

They rinsed their hands and placed the cloth on his forehead. They was unable to leave yet, even though they had to throw the water and blood floating in the basins at their feet. With the tips of their fingers, they stroked his cheek, moving the hair that had slipped into his face.

It was an honor for Francois to take care of a boy - or rather a man - as good as Senkuu. They would do anything in their power to save him. They closed and reopened their eyes to suppress that feeling of melancholy that was about to overwhelm them, risking to ruin everything.

They tried not to flinch when they felt their skin twitch and Senkuu panting under their fingers. He didn't try to move further. He was probably reliving the attack through his memories or what little his mind had recorded, too busy trying to find a solution to survive.

"D... Da... dad?" He coughed, barely lifting his shoulders from the floor and Francois snapped forward to be sure he was standing still. "Dad, I see you again," Senkuu continued in a hoarse voice, fighting against the little light that illuminated them. He narrowed his eyes to get used to it but due to fatigue, he was forced to close them again.

"No, everything hurts," he said more confidently, relaxing. Francois let go and checked that he was perfectly straight again. "It means I'm still alive," he added in a whisper, slightly uncomfortable. He almost seemed to be begging them not to comment on what he had said before. Francois understood it immediately, but they couldn't help but caress his cheek again, this time without moving his hair and without moving his hand away for fear of annoying him. They wanted to make him feel all their support. "Mentalist, you're back, you bastard."

In the half-light, Francois smiled for a brief moment, withdrawing their hand because they knew it wasn't their place.

"Gen, I..." Senkuu murmured, opening his eyes slowly this time and not giving in closing them. "I have to tell you…"

Francois leaned over him to better arrange the cloth on his forehead before interrupting him.

"Senkuu-sama, be strong," they said. Their voice was low and like every time they spoke words, incredibly firm. Senkuu had no problem recognizing them now.

"Francois... where's Gen?" He asked, trying to smile and demonstrate - even before himself - to be strong.

An only and little tear at the corner of the eye betrayed the indecipherable expression of the stoic butler who went away and collected the first basin.

"Senkuu-sama, Gen-sama will be back soon, don't worry. Your first priority will be to feel better. Ryuusui-sama is taking care of everything and Gen-sama will be by your side again." Francois nodded at their own words, watching him as he closed his eyes again.

"What you want to tell him, you will tell him by yourself when he returns."

Feeling the gauze that had adhered to the still fresh itchy wound, Senkuu clenched his teeth, but smiled a little after. If he hadn't lost more blood than it was due to them alone.

"Thanks Francois," he murmured. He was not good at expressing his emotions and even less with someone who seemed to understand anyone and predict exactly what they wanted.

Francois closed and reopened their eyes. Nodding once more, they checked him before turning their back on him.

Nobody knew much about Francois' life, Ryuusui himself didn't care much about knowing their real name or their genre and for Francois, it had been the chance of starting the life they had always wanted, far from the days that had accompanied them to the gates of the Nanami empire. Growing and educating rich offspring was something they had always wanted to do, training every day to become a perfect butler and to understand others, who gave back to them, through growth, the emotions that life would never have given to them or to the people who once they had loved.

Francois had no regrets. They had erased all of them. They needed space for gratitude and hope that every person they loved now and was part of their life would have had a better fate than those who they had lost even before the petrification.

They knew how much Senkuu and Gen counted for each other and had full confidence in them. Their complicity brought to mind images that unfortunately would never come back to them.

In the days before, they had never seen Senkuu worried about his partner, except now that after realizing he was alive, he had asked about Gen, so as not to run the risk of leaving without having at least spoken to him. Even just thinking about it, that scene had left in Francois' heart a soft sadness and at the same time joy.

Their connection could not be severed even from the most precise of the bullets and they - Francois - was eternally grateful for being able to assist, even though they probably would never have experienced it firsthand. At least not anymore.

When they threw the red water from the ship, Francois looked at the horizon, taking off their gloves, no longer white, but streaked with innocent blood once again.

In the meantime, the shouting and the frantic footsteps had diminished, leaving their space to the sounds of the night. Although they wasn't looking behind them, Francois felt and recognized Ryuusui's footsteps approaching them. The captain put both hands on their shoulders.

"Thanks for everything, Francois. I will add a million yen to your salary when all this is over."

Ryuusui had a strange way of expressing his feelings, almost as if every bond had a price, as if as soon as he said the truth, it would turn against him. However Francois hadn't done it for money and Ryuusui knew it well, too much.

That's why they got on incredibly well.

"At least two million," replied the butler but their voice broke. To a less attentive ear it might seem that it was just a mistake, but Ryuusui immediately understood what had happened.

He felt guilty for not involving more people in the rescue of Senkuu, however he didn't even trust his shadow as much as he trusted Francois. Of all, Francois was the person he would always drag with him.

He moved his hands from his shoulders leaning forward to hug them while maintaining his position and without squeezing too much. Francois rested their hand on his, smiling at the memory of when he had embraced them like that before, when the name of the Nanami was well known to everyone.

They both remained silent for a few minutes.

"Senkuu didn't give up when adversities seemed to endanger the birth of Perseus and with it my dreamship became real..." Ryuusui considered and the memory he had recalled once again returned to Francois' mind who nodded, without turning around. "Senkuu trusted me and my desires. He did it with me but with many others without asking anything for himself, just for the world. And now, I have to do what's right for the crew, for him and to repay my debt to him. Senkuu is really important... for the whole of humanity, not just for us, am I wrong?"

Francois reacted again with a compound and brief nod as they had taught them at the academy, as they had done for all the gentlemen they had served.

"I will never repay the debt I have with you, not even with all the millions I had. Thanks Francois for enduring me even now."

When Francois' tears ran from their eyes to their cheeks and dripped onto their intertwined hands, they felt that Ryuusui's arms were holding them tighter.

At one time they would never have thought that someone could embrace them or that they was worthy enough. However, those days were over and now they would do anything to never remember them again.

Francois turned, feeling his master's grip loosen to allow him to move. They looked around and whispered, "Ryuusui-sama, it's time to put Senkuu-sama in the cabin. He needs sleep and I'll make him some hot soup tomorrow when he wakes up."

Ryuusui smiled sweetly.

"I just need you to make sure that no one is still awake, that the cabin door is open and then you can retreat. I will sleep next to him in case he needs anything."

Even too tired to try to make him change his mind, his faithful servant - who had dedicated their life to him - looked at him with shining eyes. "Yes, Ryuusui-sama as you wish."

\---

Ukyo loved the sea.

When he lived with his parents, before starting to work, he remembered that from the window of his room he could look at the sea. He had always wondered what secret he was hiding besides that expanse of blue water that seemed to be endless and he enjoyed being silent to listen to the noises - especially at dawn - of his city. It was probably for that reason that he had trained his hearing to record the smallest sound.

So - even if for the sake of Senkuu's plan - being in the hinterland, it bothered him more than he should and he could not feel comfortable. Every sound - from the sound of an insect or from a twig that was broken by their own feet - told him to be careful.

Even when Suika had fallen asleep, resting her head on his legs (probably because of all those present he was the one she knew better, her teacher) and Tsukasa had told him that he would be the guard, Ukyo had not closed eye anyway.

After all, he was a light sleeper, even before working as a sonar attendant, he had trained to always go beyond his limits and even enough hours of non-consecutive sleep were enough to maintain a decent level of attention.

When the machine they had brought had issued short signals, Ukyo sprang forward, just in time so as not to disturb Suika. He moved the girl and joined Tsukasa who waited for Senkuu to communicate the message but it did not happen.

Ukyo and Tsukasa looked at each other for a moment and then turned their attention to the silent machine again. Hyoga was asleep leaning against a tree but both by now had noticed his breath didn't change so he was pretending.

"Something happened," Ukyo said. "We know that Senkuu had to communicate with us and that obviously the conversation would have been encrypted..."

"Yes," Tsukasa agreed, touching his chin with his fingers, "let's go back."

"In my opinion, we shouldn't," Hyoga broke the silence that had arisen after his sentence while Ukyo was still pondering what to do.

"What do you propose? Looking for Kohaku and Chrome?"

"Exactly. They will have received clear statements and from that, we could move and be ready for what awaits us. We are more numerous, it would be enough just to remove all their ammunition and then..."

His sentence fell on deaf ears even if it was the most instinctive solution to the real enemy strength.

Ukyo looked up, forgetting the machine from which they were to receive their communication.

"If they had needed us or you to fight, even though excellent warriors remained on the ship, I think a sos request would have been clearer. From the noise it made, it seemed only to have been accidentally touched by those who do not know how to use it at all."

"So you recommend sleeping on it."

"No, just don't get lost looking for others who are sure to have sheltered in some cave for the night."

Tsukasa nodded.

"I doubt there was an attack, so we can wait a few hours. At dawn we try to meet others."

After making their decision, they lay down and settled down to sleep, but nobody was able to rest well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♡ Writing the chapter, I put that Francois tear (when he was talk with Senkuu) was from left eye which mean Francois' cry was sad then changed in tight eye which means it was for happiness' tear. So I left without any information about which eye was to leave to who read the choice (it can be both anyway because it was written).
> 
> ♧ My fanon story about Francois is pretty simple: Francois born as a girl and as a girl, they was educated. They choose to serve other people and help the youngest ones to understand the world better as they just learnt suffering. They fell in love, they cried and laughed but always wondering how life could be if they would be just them. Francois felt that they wasn't a girl but they wasn't a boy either. After started to work for Nanami, Francois saw how Ryuusui was carefree and at first thought that was just because Ryuusui was too much rich, but there was much more like an example to be themselves and fight for own desires, after all desire = justice.
> 
> Some canon little informations later, we are here.
> 
> Pretty satisfied with this background story even if in the chapter isn't so clear (it was a bit pointless make a character think about and say it their own past if they isn't comfortable with it). 
> 
> ♤ I am a bit tired, hope to not make a lots of mistake and to translate tomorrow chapter fastly (because I have more to write 🤧🤧🤧). Thank you for reading!


	3. Z=162 Anger and changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How much Xeno would have suffered if Stanley had been killed? More or less than him hearing Xeno talk about Senkuu's death the night before?

The moon was full that night and among all the people who were looking at it at the moment there were also Chrome and Kohaku.

Far from the rest of their friends, the two had spent difficult hours together. Chrome was used to speaking out of turn and Kohaku got tired of his voice easily, punching him every time he called her gorilla.

Until then Chrome had received more than ten punches and Kohaku had found increasingly annoying that he called her that way and that she was in a team with him. She would have preferred Ukyo, far quieter than Chrome or Kirisame with whom it was easier to divide spaces and did not feel uncomfortable since she was a woman like her.

However, being with Chrome also had a positive side: she knew that the daggers he was holding should not be used against him because he had never tried to kill her as some people of their crew had done in the past.

"Do not sleep yet?" Chrome asked, taking her by surprise. Only when she heard no particular noise did loosen her grip around the else of the daggers.

"No... and apparently you neither."

"I'm thinking and the voice in my head is distracting me too much."

Kohaku didn't comment and also tried not to roll her eyes.

"Sometimes, you know… I think about it," Chrome continued. "Before Senkuu, I always wondered what was beyond the forest, the 100 stories weren't enough to tell everything I imagined. Do you know that there are still rocks that I have never found? Every country has some particular rock and every country also has plants and flowers that only grow there, Senkuu told me and I believe him. There are still many things I can learn."

"Even if you learned a lot... we learned a lot from him," Kohaku corrected him, thinking about how in those few years she had less trouble understanding others talking about that thing called science and it was also fun to see the results they got.

"Yeah," the other agreed. "Senkuu told me that the people in his world are not all good and that they also use science to get rich, I would never do it," he continued shortly. "Get rich like Ryuusui?"

"Mmmhhh... yes, but Ryuusui is good, I don't think it would hurt anyone like Senkuu who just wants to do science."

Kohaku crossed her arms.

Like with Gen, Ryuusui had never inspired her confidence either. However Gen and Senkuu were an unstoppable couple and both trusted each other, probably Gen would have preferred to betray the whole village and more, only to protect Senkuu and Senkuu would have done everything to defend - even if not he would have said - all including Gen, who was fundamental to him and the realm of science. Kohaku hadn't forgotten that the first battle it had been won only because Gen had chosen Senkuu.

It was difficult to understand people and their feelings but Gen did it effortless and this - especially after seeing how much a fight could be won even without turning human lives off - meant that the mentalist was the strongest of all there.

However, Ryuusui placed at the center of all that strange paper that everyone in his time went crazy about, saying he wanted everything for himself.

If he had been a villager, he would have been dismissed soon on charges of being a criminal for not sharing what he had. However, like Gen, Ryuusui was not as he appeared.

One of the things Kohaku had learned from Senkuu was that judging people only from the first impression was almost useless to understand them.

"I wanted to get out of the village first," Chrome started talking, still not looking at her. The fire that Kohaku had lit was about to go out. "Now that I'm gone, I'd like to come back. I like to see new places, but also to see the old one, I wouldn't mind."

The girl wrapped her arms around her legs and brought them to her chest. Her sandals scraped the ground on which she was squatting. Luckily Chrome was turned at the other side and she didn't have to worry about lowering the skirt that rose on her thighs.

"I miss Ruri... I don't say it because I think of those who couldn't even say goodbye to their family, but every day can be the last for all of us and we or we can't even know," Kohaku thought to loud voice, avoiding looking at him because she felt her cheeks turn red and felt more stupid with every word. She had never imagined talking about it with Chrome someday.

Nobody knew exactly when they was going to die and whenever Kohaku had a weapon pointed at hers, even if he was fighting to train, it could have been the last time. Or even when her sister was risking her life with her illness, she always hoped to have more time to seek a cure so as not to say goodbye yet.

"I miss Ruri too," Chrome whispered, unless he realized he had talked too much. "Do you remember when you said you wanted to marry me?"

"But what are you going to say, now?! And I didn't say so by the way!" Kohaku yelled, immediately forgetting the sadness of being away from his family. "How stupid you are!" she chuckled embarrassed.

Chrome turned to her and the girl lowered her legs from her chest and closed them hoping that nothing else could be seen.

"I'm too tired to think how to make you laugh differently! I don't like seeing you sad..."

"I..." Kohaku found herself gasping and smiling. She had never noticed this side of Chrome. "Enough now, let's sleep, it's late," she said and changed her position, lying next to the boy who had closed his eyes in front of the dying flame of the fire.

In the dark, breathing the remaining wood smoke, the two could not stand still; Kohaku retrieved the daggers and Chrome turned and turned in the sack for the night. Only when they calmed down, the scientist whispered:

"We will return safely to the village and embrace Ruri again."

Faced with Kohaku's silence, Chrome turned to her, being able to look at her without being able to distinguish her face in the dark.

"And we will tell her everything. On the next trip, maybe if it is less dangerous and without guns and bullets, we can bring her with us! I want to show her the world that she risked not seeing," he continued and Kohaku smiled again once for his tenderness. If there was another person who loved Ruri like her, it was Chrome. "And then you also deserve to be with her for a while. You are... strong Kohaku, really-"

"Like a gorilla? You don't say it again, do you?" She cut him off, focusing on something she could handle before she really started crying.

"Yes, but I didn't mean that this time. You are strong because you can do what you have to do without complaining and bear the absence of your sister also in this context. I admire you. A little less your physical strength, that is disturbing."

Kohaku made a sound between her teeth, shaking off all his words. Chrome was as spontaneous as she was, more focused on science than on people like Senkuu, a little childish in expressing himself but he had a good heart.

Without worrying about it, Kohaku reached out and placed her hand on his. She heard Chrome smile and shut up. After a few seconds, as soon as she was sure she wasn't disturbing him, she squeezed it and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight, Chrome," she murmured and remembered nothing else.

\---

With his eyelids still heavy and his arms together in the sleeves of his robe, Gen left the room and stopped in the corridor to look at the expanse of cultivated fields he had seen when he had been brought by Stanley in front of Xeno. The morning sun illuminated them as if it were a gold-colored lake.

His room, or rather his prison, was on the second floor of the castle. To reach the dining room, he still had to go down the stairs and walk down the corridor.

He had never used that room since he was there, leaving him at least to eat in his room. Instead, Xeno had chosen differently that day.

Sitting at the table with Senkuu's murderers did not excite him at all and he found Xeno's request to have breakfast all together yet another slap in for his loss. He suspected, however, that he had decided to be able to announce their collaboration to everyone, as if Gen cared now to see his smile as he said he had won.

The mentalist leaned out the window, considering how many meters separated anyone who was at that height and the ground. He was grateful that Xeno had not chosen that place to confess that he had killed Senkuu because in the conditions in which Gen was last night, he would have gladly and without thinking more, pushed the man below. But now he knew that if he did, he wouldn't even have time to please himself because he would find a hole between his eyes before he could even realize it.

He looked more closely at the corn that grew undisturbed there. He had promised Senkuu that all that would be theirs, that he would do everything possible and impossible to obtain it only to fulfill their desire to get back the whole of humanity, and he had failed.The defeat at poker and the defeat within the castle walls were too much for his mentalist pride. _Sometimes_ , he told himself, _Senkuu overrated him_. By now he had nothing but rambling thoughts in his head to keep him company.

And **anger** , even if Senkuu wouldn't have wanted it.

_How could he remain calm after what had happened?_

He brought his hand to his side where he had tied the bags containing everything he had with him. Once again, he found himself evaluating his most extreme option, even if nobody would have been dead and even the thought of failing for a third time made him feel even worse.

He was not like Xeno who despite being an adult and who had insisted that they - the Japanese - were just kids, should have proved more mature or even be superior as he said he was. At least one true adult would had the common sense to meet and talk to Senkuu again before making such an extreme gesture. Or rather, delegate his beloved Stanley to do such a thing.

It was then that Gen thought that perhaps it could not be excluded that it could be a sort of test, also to see how the foreigners had reacted. Even imposing yourself as a stronger and more violent leader was a way of showing your charisma. Like him when he had indulged Tsukasa on his awakening even though he didn't want to work for him.

The only solution was to satisfy his claims, act as an intermediary between the two fractions, work for the same hand that had pulled the trigger against Senkuu because he doubted that after accepting, Xeno would leave him alone to himself while returning from his allies.

Gen didn't want to fall back on violence but the same could not be said of the others. Revenge was never a goal worthy of Senkuu and he too - although his manipulative and suspicious nature - had never dedicated any effort to take revenge for a wrong immediately. However, the prospect of losing Senkuu made him want to think about it, even though in his heart he hoped there was no need.

"Gen, they sent me to look for you," the woman in charge of checking him said, shaking his thoughts. "Dr. Xeno said we can't eat, if you don't come too."

"Excuse me, let's go," he replied with a drawn smile, stopping to touch the inside pockets of his robe.

After Xeno had left him alone, the woman had entered the room and ignored his pain, trying to distract him with a sandwich or some light topic - mainly recipes - to make him calm, but Gen had only told about the crocodile burgers he ate before leaving the group. He had told her that one day they would taste those burgers together before saying that he needed to sleep.

The brief exchange of words with her had been useful, even if the food talk had distracted him very little and certainly breakfast would not have made him well disposed towards those adults who had shot his Senkuu.

When they reached the dining room, they separated and Gen was relieved not to sit next to Xeno or Stanley who had the unhealthy habit of touching their interlocutor while they spoke as if it were normal.

As soon as he sit, dr. Xeno drew to him the attention of the whole group - much much smaller, even of the Ishigami village excluding the children, - in his service.

"Good morning everyone. As you know yesterday, Stanley..." he began, touching the arm of his trusted soldier, "killed the scientist of the group of visitors and we are getting closer to a world that sees me at the head. I wanted us to have breakfast all together to greet mr. Gen, who will play a key role in the next step of my plan. Thanks to him, this castle will fill up with guys who will work with us to strengthen it even more and finally reach the rest of the world."

"Gen still hasn't accepted your offer, am I wrong? Xeno, you shouldn't speak with absolute certainty of things you can't control yet..." Stanley said but his ironic smile betrayed the seriousness of his observation. He chuckled as he dropped some ash into an ashtray and Xeno looked at him with an expression that Gen had no trouble calling caring.

"I have a question," interrupted a blond-haired girl with a layer of bright lipstick on her lips. Gen remembered when Ginrou was forced to dress as a woman to be chosen for the harem. The girl really reminded him of Ginrou, perhaps because of Lillian, the only American in the group of founding astronauts of the Ishigami village, who was one of Ginrou's ancestor and the girl in front of him might be american too.

"Please go ahead, miss Luna."

"I saw that on that ship there are many people and among all of them, besides Senkuu who is now dead, there was also a certain blonde at his side dressed as a captain..."

Gen endeavored to maintain a neutral expression but had already understood that she was talking about Ryuusui, to whom he had said to keep an eye on Senkuu during his absence so that he would not endanger himself or do something reckless. _What did that girl want from him?_

"Yes, and then?" Stanley cut it short, extinguishing the cigarette he had finished. "Do you want to kill him too?"

"Stan, I already said that we can't kill them all! If he is a captain - after all, Senkuu from what I know he was more interested in space than the earth - we need to conquer the rest of the old continents."

Xeno finished speaking but although his words might seem harsh, his tone of voice and the care with which he spoke to his subordinate seemed more like an attempt to make him understand it for his own sake than a reproach.

Stanley lit another cigarette, but Xeno took it from him and put it out.

"You just finished one, you can do anything else like have breakfast."

Stanley rolled his eyes.

"Okay, mother," he replied before doing what Xeno said.

Judging by everyone's lack of reaction, that exchange of jokes had to be habitual or at least their relationship should be known to everyone.

Gen had to admit that he couldn't understand what kind of relationship was between Xeno and Stanley.

They were much more than chief and subordinate, even if they had presented themselves to him in that way. They were friends, though Xeno couldn't wait to dominate the world and Stanley would have liked to pull the trigger more times than he had already done. They got along too well as a couple of lovers, alone against the whole world.

He looked at them again. Xeno and Stanley were seated at the head of the table and talked to each other until they forgot that a friend of theirs or a simple collegue wanted to ask them a question.

_How much Xeno would have suffered if Stanley had been killed? More or less than him hearing Xeno talk about Senkuu's death the night before?_

Gen asked himself, feeling increasingly dirty. Killing another human being - as mean and guilty as they was - was not part of the way of acting in the realm of science and certainly the part of him who wanted to see those two pay for Senkuu's death was not strong enough to bear the weight of his conscience or strong in general.

Ignoring those two at least for the time being, Gen looked at the girl named Luna, curious to know what he wanted to ask about Ryuusui, but nobody would trust him and his words, if he asked by himself... or yes?

He put down the cutlery he had taken to eat from his full plate and cleared his throat.

All the eyes focused on him made Gen sweat but he continued.

"If I may, the boy Luna-chan was talking about is called Ryuusui Nanami. Before the petrification, he was the heir to one of the wealthiest families and-"

"Mr. Gen, one moment," Xeno silenced him. "Is he just a rich kid playing the role of captain or he has real skills? Who built your ship? Stan was pleasantly surprised to see that you were well equipped..."

_Here we go._

"This is because we have many people at our service or better..." Gen replied proudly. "We had," he scanned.

"What?"

Gen started to cut the omelette, pretending to be disinterested.

"Well, after all, dr. Xeno, Senkuu was the reason everyone had decided to follow him, even myself I did it only for him, as you well know. I respect him most of all. Without a leader like him, not everyone would be ready to follow who don't even know... they will soon take their way."

Stanley took the cigarette that Xeno had put out and lit it again.

"But there is a leader and it's Xeno. Just answer his question... this Ryuusui-"

"What Gen said is true! I saw it!" Luna intervened, startling Carlos on her right. "Senkuu is the only one that everyone loves there, i said that he didn't have to die!"

"This stupid little girl," Stanley muttered, but Xeno raised his hand to stop him in turn.

"Mr. Gen, after finishing, please join me in my room," he said and after making sure he wasn't dirty, he left the napkin beside the plate and got up to leave the group.

Xeno would have realized that he had made a mistake blinded by his own desire for power. He also said he didn't want any more killings but Gen, the mentalist, wouldn't make the mistake of trusting him. He only hoped to be able to limit their attention to Ryuusui and to the rest of the crew.

It was difficult, every minute in that castle they put his mentalist skills to test but Gen continued to be who he was and he could and would have found a solution... right or not.

\---

Suika trotted in front of the boys, looking through the lenses of her helmet every blade of grass she could look at. They all seemed different from those in Japan and although they were in a hurry, Ukyo, Tsukasa and Hyoga let her enjoy her walk.

"When I first came to the village that little girl looked smaller," Hyoga considered, sliding his fingers around his own spear with each step.

"Children grow up quickly," Tsukasa replied melancholy, looking away quickly. "Even without you noticing. Especially in stature. Suika will soon be taller than Ginrou."

They smiled but all three were thinking about what would happen in the future.

"Yes, time passes for everyone, but our future will be worth it," Ukyo replied and walked, accelerating his pace. He heard noises nearby, probably they would soon find Kohaku and Chrome.

\---

The sun had risen and with it even the worries of the new day. Ryuusui after making sure Senkuu was ok, left him in the care of Francois who had already prepared breakfast for everyone and for Senkuu, who was unable to eat without assistance or to do anything else. He spent most of his time sleeping and complaining about the pain, cursing under his breath how much he hated that they (Stanley and Xeno) had forced him to be in that situation.

Ryuusui made no comment and refrained from talking to the rest of Senkuu, even when asked if they could say goodbye to their village head for the last time.

Kinrou was the one who remembered and underlined how important the traditions of the funeral rites for the Ishigami village were, where to greet the soul of the deceased, it was necessary that the people most important to him pray beside his body to ask the gods to take care of him also in the other world, but Ryuusui could not grant them.

Before he could sleep the night before, he had also thought of a similar scenario and the best things to say to them, so had replied to Kinrou and everyone above all Matsukaze (who was tremendously anchored to the traditions too) that the bullets had completely disfigured Senkuu, leaving his body torn and almost unrecognizable. He had gone a little overboard with his description, causing Nikki to burst into tears, but the goal was to get anyone away from Senkuu, even if he hated making women or other people cry.

Senkuu only opened his eyes when Francois spoke to him, asking if everyone wasn't there yet. The names of Gen, Chrome, Kohaku, Tsukasa, Ukyo and even Hyoga and Suika - those who Senkuu sent far from the ship - alternated on his lips and Francois knew that the boy's concern was that everyone could endanger themself for wanting face Xeno for making him pay his attack.

Only when Ryuusui - after making sure no one was checking him - he had gone to Senkuu and to tell him that everyone would be back soon, part of Senkuu's concerns subsided.

Getting back from a series of bullets, lost blood and a fever that showed no sign of getting low looked impossible, but Francois would have done anything to help him and even Ryuusui regretted not having paid enough attention to medicine to be able to be more helpful.

However, the sun was still high in the sky, as was the chance that every their move being controlled. One mistake and there would be another bullet blast and this time they wouldn't be as lucky as the last time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♧ An huge thank you to Megi5 ❤ who makes me notice that only Ruri was are the village. I have written that Kohaku missed her and her father while he was there... I edit that part and for whom had already read the chapter, I'll write this note again tomorrow with the 4th one! Sorry for the mistake! 🙏🏻
> 
> ♡ Hope translations is good because it was a bit rush but I said daily updates and daily updates will be!


	4. Z=163 The other side of the story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You are the only one in the world who can call a dictator a very good person," Xeno murmured with wide eyes as he felt Stanley's fingers caressing his neck and slipping through his hair.
> 
> Note: I am so sorry I don't keep this fanfiction similar to manga canon material but that scene is too much cool to not be written.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♧ Note about yesterday's chapter: thanks to Megi5 for pointing out that Kohaku and Ruri's father is actually on the ship (to make a number, idk), so in the last chapter, for those who had read it as soon as I posted, there is a small correction. Kohaku says she misses Ruri and she hasn't said it aloud before to respect those who are far from their family (not those who have lost their father). I apologize for the inconvenience.
> 
> ◇ This chapter can be heavy because some opinions - not mine - about society and powers are described. In the notes below, you will find a detailed explanation of why I wrote all of them.

As soon as they closed the door behind them, Francois took a deep breath.

Hearing Senkuu crying and begging for his father to come and get him made them suffer even more. When it happened, they couldn't help but wake him up with the first excuse that they thought of like change position or he had to drink water, and hope that once he fell asleep again, he would have no other nightmares due to the fever.

The second person they worried about was Ryuusui who was trying in every way to mediate between each person of the crew and at the same time to hide the fact that in reality there was no reason at all.

They had both made a choice and when all that was over, they would face the consequences.

"Francois-san, are you tired, perhaps? Do you need help?" Kirisame asked them, hiding in her hands a small wooden tablet, which after prayer was offered to the deities as a pledge. The group closest to the cabin from which Francois had come out - and where no one was allowed to approach for a clear reason - was busy praying for Senkuu's soul.

Francois was surprised to see that there were not only the oldest or those who had not known the world before petrification, but a bit 'all - close in different spaces of the ship and with different prayers - had kneeled to talk to the sky.

Taiju's prayers, for example, were the only ones that everyone heard because of his loud voice and that no one had been able to ask to keep it down.

  
  


Francois immediately understood that Ryuusui was carrying out his plan in the best way and at that moment they needed to do their part too.

  
  


"No, thank you, indeed if I can do something for you... in the last few days I am indisposed, so I could be forced to retire to the cabin earlier than usual..."

"Oh, I hope you'll be fine soon! I... I replace you when you need to, even if I don't know how to cook well like you, Francois, or do anything well like you..."

"I'm sure you're good, and you shouldn't be so hard with yourself. Also there's so much to do and a helping hand is too precious to refuse," they explained. "Thank you, Kirisame-sama, it is an honor for me to be able to count on your help."

The young girl in front of Francois's words, although she had never tried to overcome their mysterious aura, blushed, feeling a pleasant thread tighten her chest until it reached the heart.

  
  


"I'm the lucky one!" She shrieked in response. Realizing that what she had said was a little too much, she blushed even more, clutching the stick to her chest. "So... Francois... I finish my prayer for Senkuu and if you need something just call me."

"Thank you, Kirisame-sama."

  
  


The two stopped talking and took different ways, but also Francois realized that hearing those words full of gratitude, also coming from someone who didn't know them well, was really pleasant.

\---

Even after Xeno and Stanley left the dining room, the others continued to eat, ignoring that both of them had walked away with stern expressions on their faces.

Gen had stayed not only for breakfast, but mostly to find out more from Luna about what she had seen. It wasn't strange that Stanley had used a spy to find out who he was going to shoot at, but how the Perseus crew had greeted her? Had Senkuu done something reckless in front of the girl?

Gen remembered the writing with blood on Senkuu's robe, realizing immediately that he had probably been discovered for that... even if it was enough to hear him speak for ten minutes to understand that - unlike the others - he really knew what he was doing.

Having tried to defend him, keeping silent his real name had not benefited him at all, indeed probably, Gen thought with a lump in his throat, _he had condemned him_.

  
  


However Luna had said no more and those there had started talking about what they would do during the day, their tasks ranging from taking care of the small farm and the field to cleaning the castle. Only one boy, the one sitting to Luna's right, had started mumbling something against Xeno.

"I still don't want him to have taken the platinum ring. I wanted to give to Miss Luna! I had protected it for all these years for her! Only for her!"

Hearing those words, Gen was particularly careful, but made sure that no one had noticed.

The other boy interrupted him.

"Carlos, that's enough! Dr. Xeno has already said he needs it and you know it well! You will certainly get another ring for Miss Luna."

"You say this only because it wasn't yours, you have no idea how much a platinum ring worth! Only the best for miss Luna!"

"Worth very much, if Dr. Xeno thanked you too."

"The ring wasn't for him."

"Don't lie, it was actually for him! By the way, congratulations on your engagement," he chuckled and the boy named Carlos continued to grumble and punched him for that seedy joke. Meanwhile Luna was so embarrassed that she would have preferred to choke on her own meal rather than intervene in their exchange of meaningless jokes.

Gen thought about how Senkuu was excited to find small platinum fragments, how rare it was and his father who had sifted miles and miles to gather them only to get them to his son.

If there really existed such an important ring so close and if indeed Gen still had a little strength and fortune from his side, he would have found it and brought it to the ship. It would have been the farewell gift to Senkuu and if he was still alive, it would be the proof that he would have done anything for his Senkuu-chan.

\---

Say that Xeno's mood had worsened that morning was an understatement.

He had slammed the office door as soon as he set foot there, unable to forget Gen's words. Before it was all right, he had also ignored his monologue from the night before, which had not taken much sleep from him, but now it seemed that could no longer manage himself.

Of all the more intelligent people, Senkuu was the leader of the other faction, the only one worthy to hinder his plan and above all Xeno knew what he was capable of.

When a father spoke of his son, he tended to give him more merit than he actually had because he shone with light reflected on the skill of those who had grown up. Xeno was convinced that Byakuya's stories were in parts invented for this reason, only to see later that that boy called Senkuu didn't need all of this. His thirst for knowledge spoke for himself.

It was impressive how a child - because he was only a child - had taken into account not only his desire to learn but also that of being able to save anyone with his knowledge.

Xeno had not regretted having guided him, having taken him into consideration when in turn, at his age, no one had understood him. So if he knew him and knew exactly what he was capable of, it had been more than fair to eliminate him.

He could not allow his feelings and memories to weaken him. The world would have had its worthy dictator and with him, it would have become a better place. That mysterious green light was a second chance, a sign that even a holy entity had chosen him. 

**_No_** , that science had chosen him.

  
  


Then there was Gen who said that the only god in the new world was Senkuu. He had said it coldly, but with absolute conviction, making fun of him without fear of reaching his friend to the grave.

As soon as he wouldn't be more useful, Xeno said to himself, he would make that boy harmless, even if he had some talent.

  
  


And precisely because of his innate ability to lie, Xeno didn't know if he should believe him about that certain Ryuusui. Whatever came out of his mouth was a potential lie and he had to admit - even if it hurt his pride - that he couldn't find when he lied.

He rested his head on the desk, completely lost in his thoughts.

A few minutes later, the door he had left ajar opened and was slammed again, once again not entirely closed. Xeno looked up and saw that his host had not arrived but Stanley was there. He didn't know whether to feel better or be ashamed to be seen in those conditions.

Stan could feel Xeno's change of mood and assimilate it. When his friend looked at him, he immediately noticed that he had no cigarette between his lips. Sometimes he enjoyed provoking him by breaking his stupid ban about smoking, but now he didn't want to give him any more reason to feel bad.

"We had to kill him," he declared. Xeno didn't need to ask who he was talking about, since he hadn't said anything else for days. "I don't like the infamous like him, but you _No! Let's leave him alone, he can be useful for information_ ," Stanley continued, looking at him with just narrowed eyes and hands on his waist. "Leave the diplomacy to the others, okay? Here you have to use all the ammunition we have, chain them like the savages they are and put them under our control! The more time they have, the more they will have the opportunity to organize themselves to take us by surprise."

It was just morning and Xeno was already tired. He snorted and couldn't stop himself from banging both his clenched fists on the table.

"Having corpses is useless, Stanley!" He found himself screaming, looking away uneasily for having raised his voice with him. He simulated a cough and resumed his speech. "I understand that you hate that magician and all the others, but I don't want you to kill any other people! If I want to take control of this world it's to reign over it, not to have a graveyard of people killed by you!"

"They may be kids and without a strong guide like Senkuu Ishigami, they are lost, but how long will they need to find another leader, if they have to fight against a common enemy? Even that Harry Potter with bicolor hair said before, I don't like it at all, I don't trust him," he replied, changing position and approaching Xeno to emphasize how serious he was and wanted to be heard. "This world needs someone like you to rule it, but if you're not careful, you won't get there! I'm not everywhere, I can't protect you forever!" He snapped, leaning over the desk, bringing his face close to Xeno's.

"I can do it alone!" He replied turning suddenly towards him.

"No, you can't! You are a very good person, Xeno! You surely still have guilt for making me shoot Senkuu!"

"You are the only one in the world who can call a dictator a very good person," Xeno murmured with wide eyes as he felt Stanley's fingers caressing his neck and slipping through his hair.

Stanley pursed his lips and after thinking about it, he stopped touching him. He walked around the desk and sat on the edge, touching Xeno's with his own legs.

His hands soon found the other's hair and his breathing caressed his cheek.

"I worked for the evil incarnate. I trained to be able to shoot and kill anyone who undermined the security of my country, anyone who undermined its pride. I am faithful to my president, to my flag!"

Xeno looked down and Stanley was not happy. He just pulled his hair. "Fuck, Xeno, look at me as I speak to you!" He exclaimed, reaching out his other hand to hold his head still. For a few seconds he did nothing but stare him in the eyes, begging him not to run away from reality. When Stanley leaned further, Xeno spread his legs and wrapped both arms around his waist.

"Listen to me well, I have known many people, even those who when they killed someone else enjoyed it like hell and never - even when you told me that the world deserved a powerful dictator capable of managing this shit with his intelligence - I never compared you to them! You… you will become the best dictator of all, capable of enhancing everyone. You will give to the most intelligent, to those who will be worthy of the role of preserving knowledge, innovations, to bring technology back to our service. You will give the strongest the task of defending the weak, all those who can grow thanks to us, isn't it splendid, Xeno?" he said, standing up to be able to bend his knee and lean on the other's thighs. He wanted to be even closer to him. "All forms of suppression will no longer exist, the world will be perfect, there will be no people who exploit nature, people who exploit their fellow men or people who have not trusted you. Do you remember when you told me about it?" Stanley stopped to catch his breath. "Since I was a child, I have heard you talk about your perfect world, like a religion that nobody was in charge of, so perfect as to make the man judge-"

"Of himself, I know, I said it," Xeno completed, but added nothing else.

"You talked about it for hours, HOURS! How many notebooks have you wasted to describe on them in detail every new aspects of your ideal world? And now that you have the opportunity to make all this real, what do you want to do? Leave it to some kids who don't know how much a wrong social organization is lethal? Taking away for you the possibility of make all your dreams came true, even this new amazing world is yours, YOURS? Xeno, fuck, I will not allow you to ruin yourself with your own hands! "

  
  


"I…"

"I swear I won't kill them. We will educate them on what is best for them, how fundamental you can be in this world. They will be grateful for being so magnanimous, but if they endanger our dream, I will not be any more."

Xeno grabbed him by the wrists, forcing him to sit astride him. Silently, unable to voice what he was thinking.

Both knew that they couldn't do it then, that there were too many things to prioritize and that theirs was basically not a conventional relationship.

"I only trust you, on the whole planet. Now and forever, I don't forget that you've always been by my side and… you're right. I don't know what got into me, I... you're right, I won't abandon our goal to them. They should be grateful for what we're doing!" Xeno considered, barely bringing his mouth close to Stanley's. "You smell too much like cigarettes," he commented but still put his lips on the man's mouth.

"Yes, I must have some flaws too, after all."

Instead of answering, Xeno hugged him harder and buried his face against his chest.

"I don't want to lose you because you smoke," he whispered and Stanley preferred to ignore him, raising his hand to stroke his hair, but stopping when he added: "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't," he replied. "We got this, okay?"

Xeno raised his head and nodded.

He trusted Stanley and anything that came out of his mouth.

\---

Gen walked down the corridor that would take him to Xeno's office, calculating where the platinum ring could be hidden.

His two fingers were joined and even if he brought them close to his face, he could not concentrate, involuntarily remembering the best moments he had spent with Senkuu and how proudly he looked at him every time he made some mentalist move.

_Senkuu-chan..._

He barely noticed the thin thread of light projected on the floor from the open door. He could hear Xeno and Stanley's voices beyond the room, even if they murmured. Gen eavesdropped, leaning on his feet, ready to flee in case.

Their bodies were intertwined behind the desk. The hands of one were in the hair of the other, the hands of the other probably on his hips. The words were swift, full of hatred for someone who was not present with them, for anyone who could ruin their union. Then he felt their mouths touch, their lips parting with a wet pop.

Other words whispered with hope of staying together and Gen slipped against the wall, feeling uneasy at having spied on them. If it had happened to Senkuu and him, he would have died of shame.

"If you want to know, he died instantly. I aimed first at the head but since he ran away, I shot aiming at the heart. He didn't move anymore. I did it because it was useless for him to suffer," Stanley said and judging from the noise he had risen. "He was still a 19-year-old boy."

"Thank you. When I told it to mr. Gen, I felt guilty, I admit it. And I thought about what would have happened if I had been in his place-"

"Enough of these talks now, okay? Get up come on, let's go get some air outside! It's not good for you to stay here..."

Gen realized that they would soon be out of the room. Trying not to make any noise, he began to walk quickly to reach at least a good point in the corridor where it was impossible to listen.

The door opened completely after a while. The first to come out was Stanley and soon also a little convinced Xeno who insisted on how much he was busy to make some walk around but Stanley silenced him as soon as he saw Gen from the other end of the corridor.

  
  


"Mr. Gen, I hope you enjoyed breakfast," Xeno changed the topic, turning to him.

"Yes, I was a little late because I was in the bathroom."

"Ah, no problem. For the next 20 minutes, I will be busy, so you can do whatever you want, even waiting for me in my room."

Gen nodded and thanked him with a quick bow. He waited for them to leave, managing to hear Stanley say something like _"can't trust him"_ but by now, Gen was heading to the office anyway.

His instinct as a mentalist suggested that the ring should be hidden there, confused among other tools that only those who knew about it could find it at the first try.

He would have succeeded, he would have found the ring and nobody would have suspect that he knew it. He already had a plan for it.

Senkuu's death, the confirmation that he had had no way out and above all the mock tone with which they had spoken about him pushed Gen to the final decision.

He would return to Xeno everything - pain, pain, anger, frustration, and more pain, - he felt at the time.

Triplicated.

Neither praying to spare his lover, would help him; revenge was the only one Gen now believed in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ Note on the ideal world according to the Xeno and Stanley through my logic as a writer and fan (personal opinion). I had written it about all dr. Stone "villains" but it was too long lol.
> 
> We don't know much about him but he wants to become a dictator, who has Stanley by his side and who doesn't want to kill other people besides the scientist from the other group. To write all of the above I thought that his intelligence has often put him in the condition of feeling misunderstood and of wanting an absolutely perfect world to be in charge of - as the only worthy person - that was based on culture and science. Basically no one cares about the weak people, neither to him nor to those who for example have money like Ryuusui (even if Ryuusui has had moments in which he wished the best for others - this for example still understand it considering that the difference of class is everywhere felt. It may be a stereotype, after all and people may change tbh). So weak people may be worthy of attention if they have the same tools and attention from society (as he cared about a 10y.o. boy ideas). Even if the world of Xeno is perfect being a dictatorship it is wrong.
> 
> In addition, Stanley was a pilot, he worked for the army so I try to understand what he thought of it and it was difficult. In the story or rather in their scene it seems that they are the good guys but it is only a constraint given by the fact that they are the ones who speak, if it was not clear, I do not agree with these ideas.
> 
> In short, I do not approve of the idea of power of others (I am more for Senkuu's thought but I am not stupid in forgiving people who have tried to kill me tbh) and also other things like Tsukasa who killed Senkuu when he was literally the only one who could save his sister or even Xeno who is not even talking to people, when in the meantime Senkuu could also have idealized an idea of a perfect world (Xeno knows him before petrifying, when he was 10-15 years old). I mean being petrified is at least a slightly trauma, but in the universe of Dr. Stone, no one has been significantly affected by this.
> 
> Finally, it is all my personal considerations that have helped me to write the story and to be able to leave them the opportunity to make their choices. Obviously you can think differently about everything, but don't worry especially about the part of my non-interest in Tsukasa, I will treat it like everyone from the most logical point of view as possible.
> 
> ♡ This story is tagged sengen because the sengen relationship is the basis of everything (even if there are no interactions in those first chapters). All to evaluate one or the other say how important the relationship between Gen and Senkuu etc., comparisons are made between the two and above all the real strength of Senkuu is that Gen has chosen him, always and in any case. In addition, a bonus chapter will come for them and I can't wait as I miss them a lot and I suffer every day writing and translating the chapters.
> 
> ♤ Unfortunately if I get an idea even if it's not what I like, I have to carry it out. I am for art, and my ideas are interesting, so I accept them even if it's about characters/couple I don't sympathize for because the idea itself is perfect. My projects never end.
> 
> Thank you for reading! 💛 Hope you enjoy this chapter! Another chapter tomorrow (short this time because it is Sunday and writing, translating and editing in two languages is slightly heavy to do every day), I hope to read some comments that to know if you are enjoying it, if you agree or not. ❤❤❤


	5. Z=164 Nanami Ryuusui is the enemy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I understand, he's really obsessed!" Xeno muttered, and turned to his friend. "I swear, young generation is too crazy."

Drawers, boxes, metal scraps.

There was anything in Xeno's room and it was impossible to find a tiny ring like what Gen was looking for.

The minutes at his disposal were getting less and less, and although it seemed that Xeno had given him enough space and freedom, he would actually have had more problems if he caught him.

Gen looked again, occasionally leaning over the door to see that no one was around. 

He took a box - one of many - that could hold a ring and, when he opened it, he noticed that it was empty. The box after was empty too. And the next one was still empty.

_It was obvious that things would pile up, if Xeno had drawers full of empty boxes,_ Gen thought, rolling his eyes. However, he noticed that a box made some noise. He opened and scratched against the wooden wall. A thin sheet as a cover revealed a small gap between the wall and the bottom... that wasn't the real bottom.

That box was too elaborate not to be important.

Gen took the small knife that Senkuu had given him to tamper with Hyoga's spear and had been part of his inventory since then (although after the battle at the time, he had returned it to Senkuu but he had given it back to him saying that it could be useful).

Using the blade as a lever, he lifted the shelf revealing an hidden compartment and almost dropped its contents including a small slightly worn circle… that ring.

Probably all the boxes - which he had called too numerous - had a double bottom.

Gen, impressed, tried to reassemble it and put it back because he had found the ring but thinking about it, it was more difficult to steal it. If he did, it would have meant declaring war on him.

However leaving it, there would have given them an unbeatable advantage: if they had used it to awaken someone strong, they would have found more capable snipers - after all, they were in their country and Stanley had to have colleagues ready to be awakened - a bit like Tsukasa who had selected only the strongest men he knew.

Obviously, there was a reason why Xeno hadn't used it yet that Gen could only speculate: he didn't know how to do it or he didn't have what he needed to wake them up. Or he would simply use it to free all the people from the stone when he would have everything ready for his world.

Gen shivered and hoped that day would never come.

However, he didn't know if Xeno or Stanley - whom he trusted too much to not know about that box trick - would check the boxes periodically, if they would shake them or even open them.

The most obvious solution was to replace the ring with something of the same weight at least since the material was to be excluded... but Gen was not Senkuu, if he had to calculate the mass of everything he had available, he would have only wasted time.

He felt his inside pockets with his hand and after checked what it contained, he took his playing cards. The first deck that Senkuu had given him, the one with each card with scientific terms on to combine their knowledge and passion together. He felt his lower lip tremble and forced himself to smile so as not to cry. The memory of Senkuu would never have left him.

Stanley had said that knowing that Senkuu had not suffered by dying could be comforting, but even after hearing it, Gen had nothing but the desire to see them suffer and pay for what they did.

Both.

One of the boxes fell to the ground and frightened him. He bent over quickly to retrieve it and hope it hadn't broken. He had to make the replacement and put everything at their place before they returned.

He wanted to avoid leaving some cards there, but he couldn't have done otherwise. If he had guaranteed their victory, it would have been a bearable sacrifice.

He took the cards and started to separate them.

His deck weighed around 150 grams. He had to understand what the weight of the ring could be. He took it and weighed it with his hand. He also used his other hand as a twin-pan balance to compare the two objects.

He couldn't distinguish their difference well and surely as soon as Xeno would have taken that box, he would have noticed.

However the cards were more numerous and, waving the wooden container, they would slide against its sides, simulating a weight of some smaller object... like a ring.

He closed the box and, remembering the order of the others, made sure to leave everything in their place, so as not to make him suspect even if he had only looked at the drawer.

Gen, however, could not put the ring in his pockets, Stanley wanted to frisk him even before making him leave the castle. He lifted his kimono and barely lowered the trousers he was wearing.

He untied the rope of the slip and stuck it into the ring for hiding it against the fabric. Then he arranged his robe, closed the drawers he had opened. Still with his heart pounding and feeling the adrenalin rush through his body, he sat down waiting for Xeno to return.

\---

The door swung open and Xeno, more proud and stiff than he had come out, entered the room. Gen held his breath as the other sat in front of him and Stanley stood by the desk with a lit cigarette between his fingers.

Neither of them noticed what Gen had done and he tried not to betray himself.

"Mr. Gen," Xeno called out, making him wince.

"You are nervous, magician," Stanley intervened.

"Come on, Stan, don't embarrass our guest," Xeno continued and Gen nodded, recovering his submissive attitude.

"Sorry, I was thoughtless. There have been too many emotions these days."

"Understandable," Xeno endorsed and Gen was surprised to see Stanley look down. "But what we want to know is who mr. Ryuusui is... useful informations, this time."

Gen settled into the chair and hid his hands in the sleeves of the kimono.

He had to say something that Stanley couldn't deny (Luna could have put him in trouble but he doubted that they could ask her something considering that they didn't even listen to her when she spoke with them) and above all something credible. Ryuusui was an extraordinary boy but still a boy and if it had been something boyish, the two men in front of him would have lowered their guard.

"Ryuusui was very rich and as such," he began, trying to take advantage of the impressions of him against them. "He loves luxury and power."

_Technically it wasn't a lie._

"It's difficult to check this information in this world, but when I spied on the ship, I noticed someone dressed too well. He stood out among others, even more than Senkuu," Stanley confirmed but Xeno was still unsure of the truthfulness of the information.

"Senkuu would never surround himself with bad people though," he commented.

"In fact Ryuusui isn't bad... he's just selfish and obsessive," Gen replied promptly.

_He had to apologize to him sooner or later._

"Obsessive?"

"He promised to bring money back to the new world, getting himself rich first, and if Senkuu collaborated with him, it's only because he put him on the spot. Ryuusui has a strong influence especially on women and other men whom he loves without distinction."

Xeno and Stanley looked each other surprised.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Ryuusui loves women and men. He is the most greedy man in the world, both for material goods like money and stuff but also for people. He would do anything for the women he defines all as beautiful. Anyone."

_Technically it was true_.

"I don't know if you have ever heard the term Harem? That's how I would define what binds him to everyone he sees. He _falls in love_ easily," Gen concluded, underlining the true meaning of the last sentence with the gesture of the inverted commas.

"Is that Jack Sparrow blond obsessed by sex?" Stanley asked in amazement. "And why should this information matter for us? We've only realized that he is just an horny teenager?"

_It might work._

"Having a strong influence on people is fundamental for a leader," Gen explained "Without sex, the human race would have died out since prehistoric times. When the petrification stopped, we all looked for what our body needed: a shelter, food and water, human comfort and someone has succumbed to carnal pleasures too... especially if we can die every day. The human body is programmed to seek security and a leader who can guarantee it is crucial. Sex is sometimes more useful than money - certainly at the moment - and Ryuusui knows how to make both."

Stanley grunted, but the mentalist continued.

"Without Senkuu, he is probably the one who is commanding the ship." Caught by a sudden illumination, he hurried to add: "He already defined himself as the captain, but now he has the opportunity to become it fully. He also redesigned the flag that Senkuu had chosen as leader with his lewd logo and... before we came in America, he and Senkuu had also quarreled because Ryuusui had decided, in case he found women, that he would have wanted to bring them to Japan. Or men... even if sometimes he says he hopes to be able to conceive the first child after petrificat-"

"I understand, he's really obsessed!" Xeno muttered, and turned to his friend. "I swear, young generation is too crazy." Then he continued to Gen. "But how could that be a danger to us? Luna looked almost frightened during breakfast."

Gen ignored his comment and smiled.

"Ryuusui had probably also asked to Luna-chan to join his harem. Ryuusui is not violent, but sometimes with women he completely loses his reason." Gen reinforced the message, and from the grimace that the man made, the mentalist speculated that he was trying to evaluate whether he was saying truth or not.

This distorted picture of Ryuusui reminded him Mozu but no one would believe that Mozu could be the new leader. He hoped that Ryuusui could forgive him one day for how he was describing him and especially for how many sneezes he was causing him.

"What do you think, Stanley?" Finally he asked, turning to his wingman.

"In my humble opinion, and for humble I mean _humbly I am always right_ , I have to shoot that guy too" the soldier decided, inhaling the cigarette. Xeno handed him the ashtray he had on the desk just for his loyal Stan.

"I would have liked a different opinion. There is no need to kill him, if he want women or anything else, we just agree to give to him. It could prove to be an important ally, if he manages to be so persuasive and shrewd."

"Listen, Xeno, you asked for my opinion and I gave it to you. I would kill him because if he is as persuasive as you say, he could convince people to fight for him and honestly, not that it's a problem for me, but then I would be forced to shoot and enlarge the cemetery... I don't think you would agree," Stanley said sincerely even seeming bored by the exchange of lines that revolved around a boy to whom Gen would never apologize enough.

"In fact, I repeat that I would kill him too," Stanley continued, pointing to Gen with a quick nod of his chin. "Just in case."

"Stop it, I don't want to say it yet. Don't shoot anyone anymore."

"Okay, mother."

Xeno sighed, rolling his eyes.

"You have to excuse Stan, sometimes he can be really stubborn and he doesn't want to be contradicted, but I am here to decide. Mr. Gen, I understand that Mr. Ryuusui is very... _passionate_ , but this doesn't affect the fact that he has skills. Did he build your ship?"

Xeno wanted to use Ryuusui for ships, it was clear since he'd heard it, he hadn't asked for anything else.

"No, it wasn't him."

"So who built it?"

_Was it a good choice to say that there were other people besides those whom Senkuu or Tsukasa had awakened? The Ishigami village had been a surprise for everyone and if Xeno hadn't talked about it yet, he probably had only convinced himself that Senkuu had awakened everyone._

"Someone who stayed in Japan. Senkuu made the project and directed the job. A builder carried it out with the help of the strongest men... Stanley probably saw them... who he called the samurai..."

"Were they able to build a boat? Well, they can be good, then!" The man commented. "Xeno, I think it's time for Mr. Gen to come back to the ship and make himself useful, since he has only tried to hinder us until now."

"Hindering us is a big word, Stan... I guess he did what his heart was telling him to do. **_Being afraid for someone you love is legitimate after all._** You can even go now. We can communicate so I can say for myself what I want. Yesterday I accidentally heard a woman say they want to dialogue," Xeno explained. Just when Gen wanted to come up with a plausible explanation, Xeno continued. "I can see they want to live and it's fine..."

"So I'm waiting for the magician outside the castle, I need to retrieve ammunition," Stanley said, looking at Gen.

"Stan!"

"Just in case, I won't use them."

"Only if your life is in danger."

"Yes, yes, as you wish."

"Bring other not busy people with you. They can help you checking out mr. Gen's friends. At least the strongest ones."

Stanley put out his cigarette bud in the ashtray.

"Okay, aye-aye!," He said with a grimace and bringing two fingers to his forehead and then lifting them to the side in a pale imitation of the military salute before going out, closing - without even looking at - the door behind him.

"Mr. Gen, don't worry, it's not our goodbye, but Stanley already knows what to do if you don't convince your friends to join us."

"You said it, Dr. Xeno... they want to live, they will make the right choice, I'm sure."

As soon as he got up, Xeno stopped him.

"Mr. Gen one moment please… but I would like to know... Mr. Ryuusui is maybe smarter than Senkuu?"

Gen adjusted the chair and went over to the desk.

"Ryuusui is very skilled, greedy and convinced that his desires are justice, but unfortunately someone smarter than Senkuu..." he pronounced, looking him in the eye, "still has to come into the world."

Faced with the silence of the man, Gen approached the door.

"I didn't think you may be so rash or just so stupid to challenge me like this, but mr. Gen, I don't need to compete with any kid like you or mr. Ryuusui."

"It wasn't a challenge, in fact," Gen replied. "It was just a statement about an obvious thing... goodbye doctor."

Without giving him time to react, Gen moved away quickly.

\---

When Kohaku opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that she had no daggers in her hand. She jumped up, looking around but soon found them next to the remains of the burnt wood from the night before.

"Chrome?" She asked but the boy didn't answer to her voice, forcing her to get up. She found him outside the cave while he was placing stones far away from their luggage.

"Oh, you woke up!"

"The sun is too hot to be sunrise," Kohaku considered, making him laugh.

"Oh yes, it's noon now!"

"But how! We had to keep track of G-"

"You were tired, I let you sleep. The end. And then if something had happened, they would have called us!"

"What if something happened to Gen? How would he call us?"

Chrome shrugged. "Don't worry, he can handle it and certainly if something happens to him, Senkuu would not have remained calm."

Kohaku had a bad feeling. They said that when Gods had a plan for you, you could interpret the signs and she had never felt so restless.

"They will call us shortly for the daily update."

The girl nodded and took her water bottle to wash at least her face still dazed with sleep. Sitting on a fallen half trunk, she poured some water on her bent hand.

"Here they are," Chrome advised by taking the receiver. "Team A listening."

The first thing they heard was someone who sniffed.

"Yup?"

"Go back to the ship immediately, it's urgent."

"Min- I meant, why? The woman and I are waiting for instructions," Chrome replied, exchanging a look with Kohaku who in the meantime had approached him to hear.

"Go back to the ship immediately, it's urgent," Minami's voice repeated before hanging up.

"No!" Chrome protested but wasted no time. "Something really happened, let's go."

Both stood up and gathered up their backpacks.

"I knew something had happened... what if the strongest warriors weren't on the ship? We have to look for them!"

"We don't know!"

"If there had been, they would have done something," Kohaku reasoned. "Something really happened and it's something bad."

"Come on, if there's anybody around here, we'll find them, walking around," Chrome decided, putting the radio on his back.

Kohaku nodded. 

"Here we go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments really help me a lots, please if you want, don't forget to talk to me ♡


	6. Z=165 Black sails mean death

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You must understand that Gods don't listen to people. Senkuu's soul is already saved because he was kind-hearted."

"We are close, I feel it," Hyoga said, walking and staring at the sky. Ever since they heard that noise - believing it was Chrome and Kohaku - they all had started walking fast.

"It's almost lunchtime, if they haven't walked yet, we'll really find them," Tsukasa agreed and Suika raised her hand.

"I'll go first! Detective Suika back in action!" She exclaimed before turning on herself and rolling through the trees.

"We had to stop her," Tsukasa said, but Ukyo put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Suika is truly independent and if there is anything to worry about, she won't let herself be found."

"It's incredible how the Ishigami villagers are so resourceful and courageous. Suika is a little girl but she has stood up to my men, Chrome had infiltrated in our kingdom to make himself useful, Kohaku is a fast and intelligent warrior, the two brothers are different from each other but they don't hold back if you need them..."

"Chrome is one of the brightest person I've ever met," Ukyo considered, interrupting him. When he realized that he had spoken out loud, he blushed. "Ehm... even Kaseki, despite being old, is full of energy and then there is Magma who even if he is a rather particular person... has really been busy lately, even before leaving, he was the one who loved the most my lessons."

Hyoga said nothing and Tsukasa didn't comment on their friend's reaction either.

"I heard a noise," Ukyo scanned, pulling bow and arrow from the quiver. The others followed suit: Hyoha brandished his spear and Tsukasa closed his hands into fists.

The bush shook and was split in half, leaving room for Kohaku, Suika and Chrome to emerge from the forest.

"Ah, it's you," Ukyo sighed and lowered the bow, relaxing his arm.

"Who was it supposed to be?"

"The enemy, perhaps?"

Chrome put the phone on the ground with a grunt, tired from running with that weight on his shoulders.

"We were looking for you," Ukyo continued. "Have you received any messages?"

"In addition to the regular updates of the day, Minami told us to go back quickly."

"We didn't receive any messages from Senkuu, since only he knows how to use this machine on the ship."

"Something happened to Senkuu," Hyoga made it clear that no one would have dared to say it out loud.

"There are strong people with Senkuu too, something bad can't have happened, can it?" Suika intervened but nobody answered her.

"Let's go back," Kohaku ordered, taking the backpack off her shoulders. "If you're tired, I'll take it," she said to Chrome, referring to the radio.

"No, don't worry," he replied. "Thanks but I don't want to give up like this."

Tsukasa bent down to Ukyo and whispered to him, after letting those two precede them:

"Am I wrong or Kohaku is less violent with Chrome? Usually he doesn't even need a reason to beat him..."

"Spending time together... brings people together," Ukyo smiled in response.

\---

"Miss Luna, if you are tired, I can carry you in my arms!"

"Me too, me too!"

"No," Luna silenced them, trying in every way to reach Stanley and Gen who were walking further ahead. Max and Carlos were really obstinate.

"I don't remem...ber this path..." Gen stammered, even though he really wasn't going to tell Stanley.

"In fact we didn't take this way the other time."

"Was it better to take the-"

"No."

Gen never tried to contradict him again. Evidently he didn't want to accompany him directly to the ship or get too close. He saw Stanley settle the machine gun on his shoulder and a shiver of pure terror overwhelmed him. If even one move in the plan had gone wrong... if Stanley had decided to shoot for no reasons, there wasn't anything more.

It meant that he would reach Senkuu in the Hell earlier and, looking at the man in front of him, Gen even thought it wasn't a problem.

\---

Mozu, Magma and Yo had just finished fixing the black sails on the mast when Ryuusui sneezed again.

It had been a few minutes since he could stop. Like Francois, he had said he was not feeling well too in order to justify his absence to help and to talk with Senkuu, but this time his lie had become reality.

After all his lies, this was the most harmless and preferable one.

"Mozu," Ryuusui called, "did Yuzuriha give you the sails? Where is she now?"

"The girl went to the others who are organizing themselves for prayers or whatever it is."

He did nothing to hide his disinterest.

"You don't care so much to pray for the soul of the one who awakened you from petrification after you killed your friends, betrayed us, offended our beautiful women, you put us in difficulty on the island and above all for this, Senkuu not only forgave you, but he also allowed you to take part in the first intercontinental journey in the new history," he summed up, staring him in the eye.

Mozu was not afraid, but something in the captain's expression stopped him from replying.

"You must understand that Gods don't listen to people. Senkuu's soul is already saved because he was kind-hearted."

"I must agree with you this time. Senkuu has left us not only his knowledge as an inheritance but also his example. Everyone can change and forgive as he did."

"Forgive who killed him too?"

"Not that it would be the first time, after all. But Senkuu wasn't stupid and every choice - right or wrong - was his. He wouldn't want more blood to be shed and there were other traitors."

Mozu whistled. "I won't betray you, if that's what you are worried about. At least not now, since there are many more strong warriors than me and others with weapons never seen before."

Ryuusui smiled and touched his own hat.

"It's a selfish but logical choice. The realm of science has influenced you, even without you realizing it."

The warm sun illuminated the wooden beams and burned the skin of those who had not taken refuge inside.

Mozu continued: "Then some women here are really beautiful, I could try-"

"All women are beautiful, Mozu. And you won't try to do anything to them as long as I'm alive. Women are also in my crew and as a captain, I have to defend them," Ryuusui interrupted him without remorse. "Although women are actually strong enough to defend themselves," he added with a hint of pride.

"Some of them," the other boy said.

Ryuusui chuckled.

"All of them."

They stopped to size each other up and Mozu looked away, decreeing the captain's victory.

"Why did you want us to put these black sails on the ones we had?" He asked, changing the topic, interested in why he had worked harder.

Ryuusui cleared his throat.

"I will not tell you that the black sails also had another meaning for history because I will try to be synthetic. As you know the world thanks to the one hundred stories, the peoples in the past had myths and legends too. There was a warrior named Theseus in ancient Greece, a country very far from Japan, that he had to leave his land for a mission. He told his father that when he would come back, if he won, he would change his black sails to white ones."

"So we lost and put different sails on for this reason?"

"His father waited for Theseus to return," Ryuusui ignored him and continued with his story, "and the young man - who in the meantime had won, but deceived the girl who had helped him - forgot about the promise to his father and once he was coming back, seeing the black sails again, the old man thought he was dead and he threw himself into the sea for the pain of having lost his son. Since then, that sea has his name: Aegean."

Mozu said nothing, unable to understand why they were so important. Senkuu was dead. Not everyone knew the meaning of the sails. It had been a waste of time for him.

Ryuusui perfectly interpreted his expression and cleared up any doubts.

"Anyone who loves the sea knows what they mean," he said serious. He looked down and touched his shoulder just before turning and leaving him. His words were delicate as a blow of wind. " **_Black sails mean death_ **."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♧The myth Ryuusui tells in this chapter exists and it is the main reason why I thought that black sails mean death. Googling it, i found out that there isn't informations about black sails meaning except this myth and the fact that pirates used black sails to attack other ships. In this universe black sails mean death.
> 
> ◇ This time is very short the chapter. It's like a week after all that I start this story who I thought would have only 5 chapters ahahah but I'm enough satisfied with what I'm writing and hope you are enjoying it as well. I have also write a timeline because the scene with Ryuusui and Mozu takes place earlier in the story (before the scene with Kirisame and Francois tbh. As soon as some things happen, I'll post it as a chapter - because it's a bit long)!
> 
> ♤ I miss sengen so much but there are a lots of characters and I want to give some space to all of them (not to all of them, because some of them are totally useless) but I still miss sengen. To the story I will add a bonus chapter with sengen being kissy kissy and I'm waiting for it.
> 
> ♡ Thank you for reading, If you want to say me something, don't forget to comment!


	7. Z=166 Unplanned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He exchanged a nod with Hyoga and Ukyo who prepared themselves. Waiting for a clash - after months of training - could only make him grin for trepidation.

Minami sniffled, gritting her teeth for the headache that didn't leave her alone. She didn't have to do it, she told herself all the time, but she did it anyway. Would Ryuusui be angry? Not that she cared, she wasn't afraid of him, but she had only one job and ruined it.

That was an order from Ryuusui and she had never liked him but she had to do like he said. 

She wiped her eyes and nose, getting up and going outside.

Ryuusui was not among the others who were praying - she expected it - and who knows where he ended up.

Minami stopped to talk to Homura who hugged her, impressed that she was still shocked. She told her what she had done and the girl tried to reassure her and to not make her sad for what had happened.

"I have to talk to him... I can't stand him but this time, if he gets angry, he's right. But I couldn't avoid it! Senkuu saved Tsukasa's life even after what happened between them... how couldn't I do it?"

"I am grateful to Senkuu too," Homura replied. "He forgave Hyoga. The two of us paid with our captivity but he was still almost killed... I would never have forgiven his own killers in his place..."

"If we were all like Senkuu, the human race would be better," Minami found herself saying, feeling her eyes pinch again. "Ruri didn't stop crying. It broke my heart but she said that Byakuya, his father, was now at his side. We should be relieved..." she sobbed, "the village will never be the same without its chief... and Gen will be destroyed by pain." Homura pursed her lips so as not to cry in turn but if she thought about it, she felt how much Senkuu's death had touched her too.

"Gen has changed a lot. Before he was just spineless, now he would do anything for Senkuu as I do for Hyoga."

"Gen faced Tsukasa for Senkuu... he betrayed him for Senkuu... he will  endanger himself... Ruri told me to be careful, to check that we can all go back to the village safe and sound… even if without Senkuu is..."

Homura hugged her again.

"I would call her too. Who is in the village has the right to know... who cares if they are checking communications or whatever? It was that man who killed him, he already knows what happened. He already knows that we are suffering, it was predictable."

"Why do you think Ryuusui didn't want us to notify Ruri and the others to the village?"

Homura shrugged.

"Maybe he feels guilty about what happened and he can't bring Senkuu's body back to bury there... not only Senkuu is dead, but he can't even rest in Japan."

The reporter opened her mouth but closed it again. She hadn't thought about how Ryuusui - as Perseus captain - felt in this moment. 

_ 'That idiot,' _ Minami commented silently, barely noticed that Ryuusui had just come out of the cabin where Senkuu's body was.

"Here he is."

Homura hugged her again and stepped aside.

Minami wiped her tears and went over to Ryuusui. She didn't know what to say, she couldn't even call him by name, she was so embarrassed.

"Minami," Ryuusui noticed and turned to her. "Have you talked to Kohaku and Chrome?"

The reporter bit her lip and nodded.

"I just said they had to get back to the ship quickly."

"Good... did the doctor try to intercept us?"

"No, I... I even talked for over an hour but nobody interrupted me..."

"Perf… over an hour? You don't have to get tired, okay?"

Minami shook her head.

"No, you don't understand. I've been talking to... someone else for over an hour."

The captain was not surprised. For a few seconds he seemed to be confused but then he closed his eyes and snapped his fingers.

"My instinct tells me that you called the village... you wanted to talk to your friend Ruri, after all. Or am I wrong?"

"They had right to know," she repeated, unable to understand why he wasn't angry. He had been rather agitated last night while ordering her and Homura how to handle communications.

Ryuusui nodded.

"Yes, it was indelicate to tell you not to call them," answered like he was able to read her mind.

"Aren't you angry?"

"Why should I be?" He replied confused. "It's not a problem."

Minami looked at him with her mouth open: "Well you... I..." she stammered.

Ryuusui threw his arms around her neck, pulling her towards him. He stroked her hair.

"Journalist, I didn't already tell you that I love you? I could never hate women even if I wanted to. And men. In fact, I had to apologize for my behavior yesterday... you know, I didn't have to and I hope I didn't cause you problems."

On another occasion, Minami would never have allowed that braggart of Ryuusui to be so close to her, but she did nothing but raise her arms and touch with her hands his back muscles. She closed her eyes. More warm tears ran down her cheeks.

"We got this," he whispered into her ear, trying to calm her down. "I would give my entire fortune, if it was necessary to not make my crew suffer anymore."

"Stop it, I..."

"Shhh, it's alright, don't worry," he interrupted her as his hand stroked her head.

"Sorry, I've always misjudged you, Ryuusui... you are a good person. And you are also the one who must remain calm, even if you have lost a friend too," she said and moved to face him. Minami raised her hand and placed it on Ryuusui's cheek, but only for a second, before lowering it and looking away.

"When you need to cry or speak... I'll be there," she said and returned to the others without even giving him enough time to react. Her apologies and that sentence had been unexpected and Ryuusui was grateful that she hadn't looked at his face more. He had never asked to be understood, he did what he wanted since he had memory but finding someone who re-evaluate him… it was very sweet. He was a Nanami, he didn't need other people, but he was also captain Ryuusui and he would never leave his beloved crew alone.

\---

The shapes of a blonde girl and a taller boy were intertwined. It was also true that they were covered by his body and hat but Stanley through his front sight could not be wrong.

Nanami Ryuusui was truly a latin lover, the magician Gen had not lied.

He pushed the weapon away from his face as he had no intention of shooting but simply of spying on the ship through the lens. They seemed to be in mourning. The black sails covered the white ones, some people were gathered in small groups to pray while that boy was simply busy widening his harem.

Stanley with his tongue moved the cigarette to the other side of his mouth.

Then he turned to check that Gen was still in his place. Both he and the others were busy observing the ship or fixing the phone to communicate with Xeno... if Gen wished he could have run away, but evidently he had resigned himself.

"The sails are black..." he heard him say in a whisper, but he didn't pile out. If Xeno hadn't decided to let him go, he wouldn't even have been present at Senkuu's burial. For a brief moment he felt uncomfortable, but he just shrugged and focused on his cigarette and the weapon that weighed in his arms.

\---

Tsukasa and Hyoga were at the head of the small group that had formed between the two teams away from the ship. Gen as far as they knew he was with the Americans ready to betray the realm of science.

Suika took some flowers that had been thrown on the ground, careful as she had done in the past when Senkuu had recommended her to follow the track left by Gen.

"Gen! This is Gen's track!" She showed it to others, gaining a caress from Kohaku.

"Well done, Suika! If he is nearby..."

"It means he's not alone," Tsukasa completed for her in a low voice. "He would have had no reason to leave flowers, if he was free. Alone. Reaching for the ship."

"Let's split up, we here and you three go back to the ship or hide somewhere. Just in case-"

"No, why should we do that, Hyoga?"

"You have luggage, the radio and we are more resistant to bullets."

"No, not-" Kohaku paused as Ukyo retrieved the bow and arrow.

"If we keep talking, they will hear us, and goodbye to our favour."

  
  


Chrome, Kohaku - albeit she would fight too - and Suika fell behind as the other three approached trying not to make any noise.

Tsukasa's large hands moved branches and their leaves to look over the cliff where he could see Gen's bicolor hair from behind.

He exchanged a nod with Hyoga and Ukyo who prepared themselves. Waiting for a clash - after months of training - could only make him grin for trepidation.

Feeling observed, Gen wanted to turn and look around but an ex-soldier like Stanley could have noticed his movement and if indeed there had been someone from his team beyond the trees, he would have condemned them.

He raised a hand to his head and, pretending to scratch his neck, bent his thumb inside his hand and let the other fingers to stretched out. There were four people to face, if there had been the strongest warriors there, they would have prevailed, but otherwise...

Gen's heart skipped a beat as soon as he saw Stanley rise in front of him, cleaning his weapon from the dust that the wind had blew.

Luna, on the other hand, had finished arranging the headphones, a sign that they would shortly contact Xeno.

Taking advantage of their distraction, Gen turned and met Tsukasa's gaze. He couldn't talk. He couldn't do anything but a brief nod with his head and walked backwards to the other trees to make them enough room.

And again, Gen prayed the luck that had left them until then suddenly would remember them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ Short chapter for the same reason but I'm satisfied with it. Sorry for mistakes as always, thank you for reading ♡


	8. Z=167 Consequences I am ready to pay for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Maybe you've forgotten they have bullets, machine guns and planes," Ryuusui intervened, looking in turn between the two. "What could Gen do there? What would you have done?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ I finished this chapter before midnight (because I post it a few minutes before midnight everyday) but I took a bit to translate it. 
> 
> ♡ I fixed a few mistakes in other chapters but my english is still bad lol sorry!
> 
> ♧ I really love this chapter and Gen is back!
> 
> ◇ Cw: fight, a bit violence against Stanley and language.

Xeno had told him that he was allowed to shoot only in case of danger and, considering that he had not seen that guy approaching, he had turned just in time to prevent his hands from grabbing him by the neck.

It was a dangerous situation.

All he had to do was pull the trigger and he would have deleted the problem fastly. Afterwards, even Xeno wouldn't have had anything to say about punishing the magician who made that man to attack him.

The close distance benefited him, he didn't even need to aim and... if in the meantime he would hit someone else, it would be an accidental damage.

A gust of wind hit him violently on the hand with which he held the weapon. 'No, it wasn't the wind,' Stanley realized as he watched the man's foot push his beloved weapon over his grip.

Although disoriented by the speed of kick, he managed to grab the weapon by its barrel, but he no longer felt the ground under his heels. He was about to fall, he couldn't let his guard down.

"Tsukasa-chan, don't kill him!"

Stanley recognized the distant voice of Gen - who was surely hidden somewhere - now sure he had won.

The pilot quickly evaluated the options he had at his disposal: either try to recover the weapon and be hit and die from the fall and the hit together, or jump into the void.

Or something better.

"You are the strongest of them. It will be fun," he said and dropped the machine gun off the cliff, which only reached the water after a few seconds.

Someone squeaked but he didn't have time to care about their reactions. He pushed forward and, doing a flip, moved away from the cliff. He stretched his leg and turned it down, intending to hit him on the ankles to make him lose his balance, but that boy - even if he didn't seem young like the others - with a jump avoided him.

'He had great reflexes apparently,' Stanley assessed. He wouldn't have taken him by surprise easily, but he had managed to do it with him...

"I didn't think you could move like that," he commented and spat out the rest of the cigarette he still had in his mouth at his feet, where there was some grass. With the wind that blew from time to time, it would quickly produce a flame and at least with the fire he would win.

His move didn't go unnoticed. Tsukasa, accustomed to facing different types of opponents in the ring - even those who spoke convinced that he would not have noticed their movements during the monologue - limited himself to trampling the bud with his foot, leaving only a small breath of smoke rising between his fingers.

But that wasn't Stanley's plan who punched him in the face, the only delicate area of a body trained beyond nature like that of his opponent. He managed to hit him, but a pain in his thigh made him scream. Without giving up, he stretched out both arms and squeezed them around his neck, barely making him back off. With another kick, this time behind the knees, Tsukasa made him lose his balance, but Stan lowered his hand to touch his waist and put his other foot on the ground while he managed to extract a short-barreled gun from the lining, the one he had estimated for using it for a dogfight.

"Tsukasa, on your left!" Someone screamed and Stanley lost another weapon. It was all too fast but Stanley found himself with his cheek squeezed on the ground, the hand of that giant pushing him on his back.

He heard him say only one word: rope, before feeling the taste of blood in his mouth. He didn't know what hurt him most if those kicks and more he received or the fact that a boy had defeated him after all his years of training. He almost hoped that guy would kill him to avoid the embarrassment of remembering that fight - or worse - of having to tell Xeno about it. 

"You're right: it was fun," he said and Stanley spat on the ground, letting his saliva mix with the blood.

"Is an ape like you only 19? Weren't they all skinny in Japan? What kind of steroids did you take?"

Stanley was mad and found himself clenching his teeth as his opponent clenched his wrists harder.

'Had he really been beaten with a couple of kicks?' What a shame, the pilot found himself thinking with his eyes closed. If he had heard him coming, he would have had a smoking machine gun and four corpses at his feet.

He felt himself being pulled by the scruff until he was able to walk again. Even those two, Max and Carlos, had been immobilized and Luna had been tied with a larger knot that a little push with her wrists would have been enough to free herself. It was the one they had treated with more kindness perhaps because she was a woman or perhaps because it was written on the face that she was useless.

Even he didn't get over this defeat, with his head held high, Stanley was pushed towards the path that would lead them to the ship, in the enemy territory.

\---

At the ship, everyone was silent. Many had their eyes closed, others had their hands together to pray and someone was just sitting on the ground thinking that up to a day earlier Senkuu was still there with them.

Completely unaware of what was happening a few meters from them, when Stan's machine gun fell, the close noise made them wince.

Ryuusui sprang forward, holding on to the railing.

"The best swimmers, head over and retrieve what fell there," he indicated, keeping his eyes on that point, although he ruled out that it was something dangerous like a bomb.

Tsukasa and the others were fighting - even though Hyoga seemed to have given only two punches to his opponents - on that cliff, if it had been a bomb, the whole piece of land would have collapsed.

"Be careful," he added as Ginrou (who ran as soon as he realized that there was also the possibility that Ryuusui might ask someone to go fight with Tsukasa), Matsukaze and Kirisame dived. However, Ginrou's fear was unfounded.

Ryuusui considered that most likely they wouldn't have been able to recover what had fallen due to the current, but above all if he had sent someone to help the other group, they would reach them when others had already finished. He couldn't see anyone other than Tsukasa, Hyoga and Ukyo, but his instinct as a captain told him that there were also Chrome, Suika and Kohaku... and Gen.

Negotiations would open and, although the other generals would return to the ship, he couldn't let his guard down. Of the whole group, only Gen probably knew about Senkuu's death. Their reactions would have been different and all to be kept under control.

\---

Stanley coughed as he was pushed every time he stopped. He wanted to keep track of how many trees they had passed, but it was a really stupid way to calm himself down. Ever since he woke up after the petrification, he only saw nothing but trees.

"You're Stanley, right?" Tsukasa began, giving him another push.

"Oh, I have a fan... what an honor! But how many experiments have you undergone to become a refrigerator with hair? Your long hair is practically a lice farm!" He replied and found himself coughing again.

If Xeno had heard him, he would have said he had to quit smoking.

 **Heard**.

After all, Xeno would shortly tune in to find out what the situation was and be able to organize the negotiations. If Stanley had spoken loud enough, Xeno would have heard him and finally he would have taken a gun too. Though he didn't like the prospect of being saved by Xeno either.

Tsukasa ignored his insults, immediately realizing that it was a pathetic attempt at provocation. If even Gen - who had introduced himself to them, pretending to have betrayed the realm of Science - had told him not to kill him, it meant that he feared Doctor X's reaction.

But that didn't stop him from tightening around his wrists, forcing him to stop and react in pain. He felt it blow through his teeth, lean forward a little so as not to lose balance and then return to his starting position. Proud and with a swollen chest.

"Xeno should have made me shoot you too, stupid magician. My initial idea was to cut off your head and send it to Senkuu in a nice gift box."

Tsukasa pulled the rope and Stanley dropped to the ground, his face in a puddle.

The pilot closed his eyes and mouth just in time, but the rest of his face and part of his collar had become wet.

He silently added this offense to the list of what would have made them pay the most and to the list of things he could have avoided if he had been more careful. They hadn't tied his legs too, after all. He considered staying on the ground, so that when Tsukasa got close, he could kick him and buy time to get up.

However the boy with the arrows would have nailed him to the ground sticking one in the rope - since he wore tight clothes to be more practical in the fight and in similar scenarios - and the other silent warrior, who pulled the strings of Max and Carlos as if they were two poodles walking in Beverly Hills, he seemed especially dangerous.

He forced himself on his knees and shanks so that he could stand up alone, still retaining his proud expression.

The ship was close, he could see the platform and thought back to when Luna had infiltrated to escape immediately after shooting.

Back then - even though there were actually too many people - he had noticed Ryuusui, the one who Stanley found out was Senkuu and others but none of those who had captured him were on the ship then.

'They shouldn't have known,' he said to himself. Gen, for example, had not communicated with them and certainly, if everyone was really connected to Senkuu, he would have waited for the right moment to say it, as well as those on the ship...

Stanley smiled and started walking faster. Tsukasa noticed his change, but said nothing, just holding the rope like a leash.

\---

"Clear the way and make sure four cabins are free for our guests," Ryuusui arranged and got off the platform before anyone could argue.

He reached Stanley among all of whom. He recognized him immediately as the sniper who had killed Senkuu and even earlier he had welcomed them with far too many bullets. Ryuusui raised his hand and, just before he could give him the slap he had promised himself to give Stan to free himself from guilt, he restrained himself, letting his hand drop gently on his cheek.

Slapping him was futile.

To be guided by resentment wouldn't lead to anything good.

Stanley stiffened as though he had been hit.

"You have no restraint, haven't you? You even accept your friend's killer in your harem," he said and then looked down at his hat. "That's the perverted logo you created, they look like two cocks crossed! I thought the mentalist had said bullshit, but apparently you're really obsessed with sex, what an horn-"

Ryuusui looked at Gen, who looked away, but didn't ask him anything.

Tsukasa kicked Stanley in the knee, causing him to fall to the ground as the boxer stared at a point in front of him.

Hyoga and Ukyo pulled the ropes to guide the other three on the platform, although they understood what had happened, they made no comment. Ryuusui heard Ukyo say in a whisper only that Theseus had not forgotten this time.

Gen, the only one with his hands free, joined Ryuusui, checking Tsukasa's reaction.

The boy raised his head and looked at both of them.

  
  


"Senkuu saved my life and the life of my sister. He forgave me. I made him a promise and dishonored it twice. And you knew it," he stopped to address Gen. "You knew, you knew that this one" he sighed, pulling another kick to Stanley right in his back, without even looking. The man stifled a sound of pain, collapsing on the ground as he tried to breathe with both his nose and his mouth. 

"He killed him, he killed your Senkuu-chan and you ordered me to spare him? You don't make me to send him to hell where he should be?"

"Maybe you've forgotten they have bullets, machine guns and planes," Ryuusui intervened, looking in turn between the two. "What could Gen do there? What would you have done?"

"I would have avenged Senkuu."

"Gen isn't a killer," the captain reminded him and that simple phrase was enough to make him snort.

"The past will always haunt me," he considered, but Gen shook his head.

"Tsukasa-chan, you're not wrong. I didn't do anything, I stayed there to hear a man, that if he wanted, he could have stuck his fingers in my throat, talk about how the person I love most in the world had just been killed."

His usually soft, quiet voice grew heavier, chanting each word in anger.

"Person that - if you haven't understood yet - I tried to protect calling him with another name. I could have say your name, you could have fought better than Taiju in a clash. Are you or not the strongest primate in the world? But I'm sorry, nobody would have sacrificed himself for him with the same devotion as Taiju and that he might have looked like a 19-year-old boy who loved science because I understood that it was enough for them to just talk, maybe face to face. I didn't even want Senkuu to be with them, I'm so worried that I hope no one would leave Senkuu alone in case he was taken off to the castle. I didn't want anyone to lay a finger on him. But they shoot instead of talking apparently, so what? I wanted to say your name, but you would have fought and killed them with bare hands like those lions back to Japan years ago. I'm not as strong as you, my conscience is not made to get dirty, even if every time it ends up doing it. I don't want anyone to die yet. I'm exhausted."

Gen's voice broke. His eyes got wet, but he didn't hide it. He just closed them and when he opened them again, he continued.

"Not in front of me, not in front of others. Even people who hurt us, because if we had killed someone who had betrayed us, at least half of the ship it must have been empty by now. So you see, I couldn't do anything because I'm not a warrior trained like you, I am not strong with spears like Hyoga, I wasn't with others like the rest of the warriors. I was lonely as I was for the rest of my life before meeting Senkuu and now I am lonely again because the man I love is killed! So what could I do other than live in terror that their goal had now reached? What? What had I to do? Kill them in their sleep? For what? Get revenge? And then? Senkuu would return from the afterlife? Would I feel better? I've been thinking about him every single minute since that bastard told me this one shot him and guess? I couldn't rest. And when I didn't see Senkuu's face, I thought about throwing Xeno downstairs, but guess what? They have rifles and I would have found myself with a bullet in the forehead and once I die, I would have been useless, I could not have avoided another massacre. The same one I'm trying to avoid. When I thought of something feasible, you appeared to solve the situation. Were you about to throw it out of the ravine and do you know what would happen? He would have fallen into the water and saved himself! He would go back to his lover and later we would end up with more holes in our bodies than we already have because breaking news! They have machine guns, pistols and rifles and who knows what else and they can't wait to try them on us! I also made promises that I couldn't keep to Senkuu, but I certainly don't begin to imply that I was arms crossed and let them kill the only person I have ever loved! Do you know what I thought when I found out he was gone?"

He asked, swallowing. His mouth was completely dry, his shoulders were shaking with anger.

"Everyone except him. I'm fucking selfish and always have been. With Senkuu the best part of me died, who I became to be as good as him but now... who the fuck cares, Tsukasa. If you want to punch me because you didn't keep your promise, go ahead but at least don't kill the hostages. At least get the whole crew save and sound back to Japan."

After he stopped talking, Gen looked at him. Tsukasa didn't reply. It was impossible to respond to that outburst. He was right, he had always been right. Gen had always been Senkuu's man and vice versa.

"I didn't have to insinuate anything. I apologize and thank you for stopping me," he said after a while, placing a hand on the mentalist's head. He stroked him slowly even though he knew it wasn't enough to reassure him.

"Sorry, apparently I'm going through the other stages of the grief randomly," he considered, his cheeks were wet, his eyes had started to hurt, he was breathing hard. "I just wonder if acceptance will ever come... or even if the pain will go away someday..."

His voice was a whisper. There was no real hope and this contributed to making it even more painful to listen to.

Ryuusui pursed his lips and considered for more than a moment if it was appropriate to confess that Gen wouldn't have been alone...

"Gen... condolences for your loss. If I could have chosen... I wouldn't have shoot. It was the hardest bullet in my entire career."

All three of them looked at Stanley, but Gen didn't reply.

He couldn't have even if he wanted to. He couldn't control the tears, it was as if all the times he needed to cry (and he didn't) they all focused at that moment. He could feel them running up to his neck, sliding past the fabric, ending up on his chest.

"Get up," Tsukasa ordered and Stanley didn't reply. He did as he asked and let himself be led to the cabin.

Left alone, Ryuusui grabbed Gen and held him close. He heard him cry for a little while longer. Then the mentalist moved away and wiped his face with the corner of his kimono sleeves.

"You have a plan in mind, my instinct tells me," Ryuusui declared while Suika, Chrome and Kohaku dragging two radios and backpacks were getting closer.

Gen's expression twisted into a grin.

"Everyone thinks revenge is just killing a person, underestimating how much pain is a better punishment," he replied. He made a face with his mouth that stretched out in a flat line. "I want them to suffer. I am selfish, I want them to suffer as I am suffering. Even if it means that I will have to destroy myself. I will face the consequences I am ready to pay for."


	9. Z=168 Mentalist's heir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I still wonder how many other young people I have to see die in front of my eyes..." Kaseki sighed, approaching them quietly. "An old man is still here, while young Senk-"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ I'm late again but luckily Is almost here the scene I want to write so much 😍 (even no one will appreciate it).  
> See you tomorrow 💘
> 
> ◇ I try to keep them in character at least in the story, in the canon we don't have same situation or same informations so... anyway I realized yesterday that I didn't use Pig latin for Gen and I am mad about this because I want realism but I don't like pig Latin (we don't know why Gen talk like that so who cares isn't his personality trait... at least for me).

"I want them to suffer. I am selfish, I want them to suffer as I am suffering. Even if it means that I will have to destroy myself. I will face the consequences I am ready to pay for."

Ryuusui listened attentively to Gen and even though it didn't sound like him, he couldn't blame him. His monologue had been clear, painful and it left no doubt.

He loved Senkuu, he would come to hurt himself in order to avenge him. He would ignore everything he had learned from Senkuu over the past few years to return to the shallow man he said he was before petrification.

However, his speech had seemed _too clear_ , especially for someone like Gen who preferred never to reveal more than necessary.

The captain snapped his fingers silently, refraining from explaining his reasoning.

It was Gen's way of showing himself vulnerable, but above all to show how strong Tsukasa was. The mentalist appeared as boy who cried over his lost love and Tsukasa as one who used his enormous strength to fend off the pain. Gen had also mentioned Hyoga - whom Stanley had seen - but he didn't say other names. Not surprisingly, he preferred not to include information about other people.

_'Not bad,'_ thought Ryuusui. _'He had told the truth without making it weigh. It almost seemed like it had been an outburst - and it had been that too - but it had served to tell him that he should have been paying attention to others even before him.'_

Ryuusui agreed that Gen was actually dangerous for enemies. Also He was betrayed on several occasions by his dialectic. After all, Gen was Senkuu's wingman, making up for what he lacked and balancing each other. He had been shocked by his death and...

Ryuusui again considered that it was time to tell him the truth. There were far too many people on the ship now and the chance of them finding out about Senkuu was higher. Gen of all was the one who wouldn't speak and he would help him to hide it, as well as he could get rid of that strange idea of revenge.

"Ge-"

"Do they know?" The mentalist asked, alluding to the three who were loading the radios onto the ship. He looked at them quickly before wiping away the last tears.

"No. If we had-"

"They would have reacted impulsively. I agree," Gen agreed, interrupting him. His swollen and red eyes were the only proof that he had been crying.

He was returning to being the emotionless mentalist.

"We have to tell them now. They don't know the meaning of the sails and since I told them to join us after a few minutes, in total silence, they couldn't ask anyone as they approached the ship. But there are too many people here."

Both of them had thought the same thing.

"Chrome! Kohaku! Suika!" Ryuusui hastily called them and the three froze, checking what they had in their hands because they believed he had just scolded them. "Please wait there."

Gen and the captain joined them on the platform, helping them to take their bags and Ryuusui ordered those present to move the radios to the communications cabin and to who were wringing their wet clothes to get away from that weapon.

Ryuusui narrowed his eyes. The Americans didn't joke about it. It was always more dangerous to anger them, but any new challenge was welcome.

Homura listlessly brought sheets for the three who had dived and stood in front of Kirisame (who thanked her embarrassed) so that she could cover what her transparent dress emphasized.

The gymnast then disappeared into the downstairs cabins to probably search for Hyoga.

Mozu, Magma and Kinrou, who only thanks to Senkuu had understood how important radios and telephones were to communicate, collected them carefully and moved them where they had been instructed.

"I could have carried both of them too," Kohaku considered, crossing her arms over her chest. "What happened? Where is Senkuu?"

"Senkuu is doing some plans for the plane, huh? He hasn't finished it yet? I want to build it too!" Chrome asked.

"Suika hasn't seen Senkuu anywhere," the little girl interjected.

Faced with Gen's silence, Kohaku raised an eyebrow and shifted position.

"Senkuu will have seen that Gen is here… why hasn't he reached him yet? Senkuu!" The girl got into the ship and yelled Senkuu's name who couldn't answer. The other men who were cleaning the floor froze, undecided what to do.

Kohaku was frightening, and every time she said Senkuu's name, everyone didn't know whether to feel sorry or afraid for her reaction.

"Senkuu-sensei!" Chrome called him too, reaching Kohaku. "We're back!" 

"Why are you looking at us like that?" Kohaku told the others that they squeaked and hurried to look away and fix the deck of the ship before running off.

Gen grabbed the girl's arm.

"Kohaku-chan..."

However, the girl chased him away.

"What? Don't tell me Senkuu had another idea of his own! Ah, he couldn't wait and got off the ship... typical of him! He said he'd be here!"

Ryuusui approached her, exchanging an eloquent glance with Gen who approached Chrome and Suika. The captain let out a deep sigh.

"Kohaku, yesterday... Stanley, Xeno's most loyal dependent, one of the men Tsukasa captured... shot Senkuu... and Senkuu didn't survive."

Kohaku started shaking her head.

"No, no, Ryuusui..." she panted, "but what are you saying, where is Senkuu?" She asked, opening her mouth wide in front of his silence. "It's a joke, right? I don't have time for you! Senkuu cpome out, come on!"

Ryuusui looked down, unable to look her in the eyes.

Of all the reactions he feared most were Kohaku's and Chrome's. They were the most loyal ones who had seen in Senkuu a fundamental figure for them and for the village. They were very impulsive and spontaneous, unlike Gen who also suffered from hearing the news from the enemy himself.

The captain could not answer her, he would have had no right. The secret that granted them a minimum advantage was even more heavy to bear.

Kohaku stopped screaming.

He saw her swallow, probably tired of calling him interrupted for at least five full minutes.

"Senkuu doesn't answer, Ryuusui," she said in a choked voice. "He doesn't answer, he doesn't hear me. Senkuu won't answer me anymore."

Kohaku closed her eyes, the tears were not long in coming and Ryuusui felt directly responsible for them.

He had promised he would never allow a woman to cry again and Kohaku was so close to him, he could feel her heartbeat under the palm of his hand, he could see her starting to shake, realizing that one of the most important people she loved was gone for good.

And before her, he had seen Minami, Yuzuriha, Kirisame, Homura - even if she had done everything possible not to be discovered - Nikky, and many of them cry... the whole crew was devastated for their loss and would still see people desperate. He could avoid it, but he couldn't speak.

"I'm sorry," Ryuusui whispered, feeling hopeless for the first time. "I'm so sorry, forgive me, forgive me."

Gen didn't need to repeat what Ryuusui had said. His voice had reached them and the moment he said that Senkuu didn't survive, he just grabbed Chrome's arm and taking Suika's hand, who turned to him.

"Is Senkuu dead?" She asked him. Even though her helmet, it was clear that she had started to cry.

Gen wanted to say no, but it wasn't possible.

He nodded.

Such a short sentence hurt more than a spear stuck in his stomach.

To his right, however, Chrome had stood still. His gaze lost in the void, his mouth and eyes open and wet from his tears that fell fast and relentlessly. He sniffed, and only when he blinked, his tears did pour all together down his jaw and nose, dripping even onto his robe and the rafters at his feet.

"Senkuu, we had to build the plane... Senkuu... it's not fair!" he murmured, but said nothing more. He couldn't see the others, totally out of focus and his eyes were burning. He couldn't stop crying, he couldn't.

Only on another occasion he had cried so much: when Ruri had said goodbye to him, before she could be saved by Senkuu.

Senkuu had managed to put a stop to the death and despair of everyone but his own.

Suika sobbed, squeezing her hand tightly in Gen's, who tried to cry without success.

He had decided that. 

He would no longer cry for Senkuu.

He wouldn't going back.

He wouldn't solve anything by crying.

Wasting time just when negotiations should have started was a first step towards definitive defeat.

His tired, lifeless eyes closed and opened completely dry. Seeing others cry broke his heart or what was left of him.

"I still wonder how many other young people I have to see die in front of my eyes..." Kaseki sighed, approaching them quietly. "An old man is still here, while young Senk-"

"Kaseki, not say that again! You don't have to say it even as a joke! You can't leave us too!" Chrome cut him off, bending over to squeeze him and cry on his shoulder. "We are lost without you!"

"Suika doesn't... she doesn't want to lose anyone..." The girl embraced both of them who continued to cry together.

Ryuusui had tried to calm Kohaku but with poor results.

The girl was still in shock, pulling away as soon as he tried to stop her. She had pulled out her daggers and Ryuusui already understood what she wanted to do.

"He's here, isn't he?" She scanned, noticing his worried look.

"Kohaku... don't..."

"You said it. This Stanley is here. I won't even waste time looking for him."

The girl jumped over him and began to run. Ryuusui was ready, he chased her and, although Kohaku was very fast, he managed to catch her. He held her from behind for the waist as he tried with his hands to make her lose her grip around the hilts.

"No, Kohaku, breathe."

Kohaku tried to shake it off. "Leave me!"

"No, calm down!"

"I said leave me!" She exclaimed and when Gen stood in front of her, her eyes widened. "And you take off, I have to kill him!"

"Ryuusui, let her go."

Ryuusui winced and Kohaku nearly slipped from his arms. "You're kidding, Gen! She really is capable of killing him. You said you didn't want him to die."

"I didn't want him to die without suffering, but she," he replied, neatly pronouncing her pronoun. "She could do it... indeed... you make him suffer, right?" He turned to Kohaku who stopped fussing to hear him.

"Yes."

The Mentalist approached her until he removed the dagger from her right hand. He threw it to the ground and she let him.

"But you won't be able to," he continued. "Anger doesn't have to guide you. If you die, you can't avenge him and they expect us to do it, so they will find a way to prevent it and we will be smarter."

Ryuusui let go and Kohaku threw the other dagger alone to the ground.

"Senkuu wouldn't want us to become killers. However, cheating, lying, manipulating, destroying the emotions and hopes of others are more painful than the bullet that hit Senkuu to the heart."

Ryuusui spied on the reactions of others, considering whether they had heard. He said that Senkuu's body had been rendered completely unrecognizable by the gunfire. If they protested or asked for more, they might as well have walked through the cabin door and found him alive. Still feverish but alive.

Luckily Gen was speaking in a low voice and Kohaku still hadn't asked to see the body.

How difficult it was to lie, Gen was really talented to do it with no effort.

"I want to take revenge," Kohaku said and Ryuusui bent down to pick up her daggers, determined not to give them to her for at least a couple of days.

Gen walked over to her and rested his forehead against Kohaku's. He took her hands in his. They were silent for a few minutes.

"And what are you willing to do? My plan will take some time but I assure you they will suffer in the end. I need someone who loved Senkuu so much that they doesn't care about playing with other people."

Kohaku finally took a deep breath to calm down.

"If they suffer, I'm ready to do anything. Anything. Even if it will take all our lives."

Ryuusui couldn't look at Kohaku's expression, but he knew it must be as creepy as the Mentalist's.


	10. Z=169 The most powerful man in the world

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Stanley is only loyal to me and even the idea that he can switch sides is almost more ridiculous than your attempted challenge. You could have been in my employ, the highest moment of your miserable existence and instead you decided to annoy me. I will make you regret setting foot on MY continent and going AGAINST the most powerful man in the world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ I'm so sorry, I didn't post the daily chapter yesterday - two days ago (?) Idk It's confused with all time zones - because I was too tired and not sure about the dynamic. Hope you will enjoy the story and the plot anyway... For this reason this chapter is longer: 5K+ words (because I can't cut the main scene in this chapter that one I was waiting for writing it!) 💜
> 
> ◇ There are like two sentence with a * near and in original text are in english as it was written here too.

When someone was able to say that they would do anything to get what they wanted, Ryuusui couldn't help but admire them.

Desire = Justice, even if the concept of justice became less objective by passing from mouth to mouth.

However, Kohaku and Gen, joining forces, were far too dangerous. He just hoped it was a reaction to their loss that would subside until it disappeared when Senkuu regained his strength and revealed he was still alive.

Without his death at the end, they didn't need to take revenge (whatever they wanted to do).

However, Ryuusui was not calm.

_ After Xeno found out about Senkuu, what would he do? Would he try to kill him again or perhaps he would change his mind? _

Maybe he had to tell Gen, stop him from his plan, prevent Kohaku from getting involved and give him a way to better manage the situation, yet it almost seemed that time got trapped between them and the desire to protect Senkuu also required him to shut up.

"Ryuusui-chan," Gen spoke to him. "Check carefully the hostages, especially Stanley who is very strong, but don't do anything else. Don't take anything from him and don't let him smoke any cigarettes. We'll take care of him later."

Without waiting for his response, Ryuusui then saw him take Kohaku by her hand and disappear into the cockpit.

"Wait," the captain said, but they either didn't hear him or were ignoring him.

Ryuusui gave up and checked that the others had calmed down. After a few minutes, he knocked on the cabin door four times and Francois let him in.

\---

"What do you want me to do?" Kohaku asked, crossing her arms against her chest and leaning against the wall.

She didn't care what was going on in his head, but knowing that Senkuu had died at the hand of someone on their ship and that she couldn't kill, it made her blood boil. She winced, remembering that she had to do something more important. "But Senkuu's body..."

"Kohaku-chan," interrupted Gen. "Now I need you for two things. The first: I want you to listen to me, I will explain the first phase of the plan and the second is that you listen to the phone call between me and Xeno."

The girl shrugged. 

She had to listen to Gen, which she always did, and a phone call, nothing special.

"Okay, but what exactly should I do?"

"Kohaku-chan, do you know what I do to lie so well?"

"Well..."

"You are a warrior, when you fight you have to predict your opponent's moves. Whether they use weapons or punch you, you need to know if you will be hit left or right. You can't let your guard down. I, as a mentalist, have to use my ability to predict not only their moves, but also the reasoning behind them.  _ The reason of their choices. _ A person may think differently based on what influences them like rain, a bad day or even people. I have to consider in total every sphere of interest and repulsion of the person I have to deceive. Often, however, I don't know this kind of informations and therefore I have to create it on the basis of that person's personality, not mine. It's a bit difficult when there are people older than me or with different knowledge than mine. For the case of Xeno and Stanley, I often find myself unable to say what they really want... so I have to experiment before I get to a right conclusion."

Kohaku frowned. She had never thought about what Gen did when he lied and manipulated people.

"To understand people or imagine what they will do, it is essential to observe them. I have to observe a lot who I want to cheat and even just from the simple voice, I can understand something.

"Yes, but I want to kill Stanley, what can I wait for?"

Gen sighed.

"You're not going to kill Stanley for one simple reason: We don't need to kill to hurt them," he clarified and then added, "then we don't kill hostages, if they're important and if they're not, we don't kill them neither."

Kohaku snorted.

"At least let me go to him!"

"Not now. If I had wanted you to go as you are, I wouldn't have asked you," he replied seriously. He placed his hands on her face, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "You are the only one who can help me. Senkuu's death has hurt us so bad that we have to share it with whoever caused it. Slowly. Leaving them the belief that they have won. And then we will take everything away from them," he explained. "Xeno is the most powerful man in the world now because Senkuu is dead. And we will take everything away from him. Everything and more. You just have to trust me."

Kohaku didn't know what to say but the promise to make them suffer was too tempting not to try.

"Tell me what to do and I will do it."

\---

Kohaku's certainty wavered as she listened to Gen talk, talk, talk, talk, talk… he couldn't stop talking. He also reminded her that he would tell her more later, that she had to be careful during the phone call and above all that she had to try to understand Xeno from what he would say.

Her head hurt at the very thought. If she had had her daggers, she would also have used them against Gen.

She was even happy to see Minami enter the room and interrupt him.

"Gen! Dr. Xeno is on the line," she began, "he's furious, he started talking in English and asking for Stanley. I didn't say anything except that I was going to call Gen."

Gen stood up and Kohaku followed him.

"Thanks, Minami-chan! Now don't let anyone in there, except me and Kohaku."

"But I wasn't alone, there were also those who wanted-"

"No, now we'll be alone. It's important, Minami-chan!"

The reporter nodded.

"I make those who were listening leave. After your return, many have returned to pray, others are looking after the Americans except Stanley, as you asked."

"Perfect, let's go."

Upon reaching the communications room, Gen reminded Kohaku to be silent with a gesture and they sat down by the radio.

"Good evening, Dr. Xeno-chan!" Gen greeted him sweetly, keeping his gaze fixed on Kohaku.

_ "Where is Stan? I called him but he didn't reply at all. What did you do to him, dull magician?" _ **_*_ **

The girl gasped at that quick scream in a language she didn't know that reminded her of Lillian's song. The difference was the tone: Lillian was reassuring, Xeno violent.

"I'm sorry Xeno-chan, if it's possible, I'd like to speak in Japanese. I'm home, it's time to embrace my origins."

Xeno made a noise that reminded Kohaku of the engine of the first car Senkuu built.

_ "Fine!" _ ***** He yelled in English. "We'll speak Japanese, but I'm not sure hillbillies friends of yours can understand me anyway."

Kohaku clenched her hand into a fist, she wanted so much that man in front to hit him.

Gen motioned for her to calm down.

"So Xeno-ch-"

"Where's Stanley? Mr. Gen, did you by any chance forget what I told you and the purpose of our call?"

"How could I? My hillbillies friends and I are eager to be in your employ, Xeno-chan."

"Funny how you finally found the words considering that most of the time here all you have been doing is squawking like a plucked goose instead of being useful. Maybe I should have killed Senkuu first, if that was what shook you from your uselessness."

Kohaku jumped to her feet and Gen bit his tongue not to answer him.

"Xeno-chan, I assure you that I not only squawked in your beautiful castle, but now we come to us. You want ch-"

"I don't think you have a say at the moment. If I don't hear Stanley knocking on the front door within two hours, I will make you, your primitive friends, your beloved's corpse and that merry-go-round you call a ship sink."

"Oh, Xeno-chan, but then you'll have to say goodbye to your beloved Stanley. It has something tragic and romantic at the same time."

"Sure, that was the only thing you could think of, wasn't it? Using my faithful Stan to take the lead... ingenious, if we were playing monopoly. I don't know how you managed to catch him, but he sure will free himself and when he will come back here... finally you will meet Senkuu again in the otherworld."

"Stanley's here for the moment and we're treating him really well. He doesn't lack company, food, cigarettes, female company, or whatever he wants. I've been treated decently at the castle, so I want to repay."

"Female company... please excuse me, but I would prefer that Stanley not be bothered by your perversions. Release him. Now."

"We could free Miss Lu-"

"I don't care, Stanley is the only one I want back and you know it, you get it. Stupid wizard for birthday parties in fast food restaurants."

"Xeno-chan you're a little nervous, I suggest you sleep on it. It's a shame that an elegant man like you is so grumpy. Maybe if you calm down, we can even get Stan to say hello."

Kohaku heard Xeno choke and swear under his breath with words she didn't know.

"How long do I have to wait to talk to him?"

"Tom-"

"Tomorrow is too late, I need to speak to Stanley immediately."

Gen smiled.

"Xeno-chan,  **_being afraid for someone you love is legitimate, after all_ ** , but Stanley is in safe hands. He'll enjoy these days and it won't surprise me if he eventually joins us."

"Stanley is only loyal to me and even the idea that he can switch sides is almost more ridiculous than your attempted challenge. You could have been in my employ, the highest moment of your miserable existence and instead you decided to annoy me. I will make you regret setting foot on  **MY** continent and going  **AGAINST** the most powerful man in the world."

Gen smiled at Kohaku who nodded. Xeno had just called himself the most powerful man in the world as Gen had told her.

"The most powerful man in the world begging for getting his beloved Stanley back doesn't seem that powerful to me."

"I didn't beg, mr. Gen! I demand what awaits me, what I deserve."

"See you tomorrow Xeno-chan," interrupted him. "Sleep well knowing your servant is not on your right, next to you."

\---

Each step brought her closer to the cabin she needed to reach. Her dress came to the knee, her hair bothered her loose at the neck, but Gen had insisted too much on their importance.

He had told her that the success of his plan depended on this moment and on her.

She knocked with a firm blow and after hearing some noise from the other side, Tsukasa opened the door.

He looked at her carefully.

"You are…"

"I'm here to take care of Stanley," she said, ignoring him. "Please leave me alone with him."

Tsukasa eyed her carefully and saw that she was not supposed to be armed.

"He's tied up, but if you need to, just scream."

"Thank you, but I hope I can help our guest feel at home," she replied with a smile as she crossed the threshold. He put down the tray with what she had brought and moved the jug of water and the glass to one side, the plate with the stew to another and finally the first aid kit that Gen had asked Francois for.

"If you need me, just scream," Tsukasa reminded her that Kohaku turned to look him. The boy came out and she finally turned to Stanley who had been silent the whole time.

The man had his arms raised due to the ropes that tied him to the beams. He was sitting on the ground and his face looked more angry than hurt.

After listening to the phone call with Xeno, Kohaku had answered Gen's questions about her idea and what the man in question seemed to her and she was convinced that she wanted to see him suffer and crawl for his arrogance.

However, she had also noticed the bond between the two of them that didn't seem as solid as the one between Senkuu and Gen. She had said it and the Mentalist had smiled at her proudly, promising that after her meeting with Stanley, he would tell her if she had guessed right or not.

And there she was, busy pouring a glass of water for Senkuu's killer. The thought almost made the jug slip from her hand. She would have preferred to solve in her own way and not trying to learn and apply the mentalism of Gen.

"I'm here to help you drink and medicate your wounds."

Stan snorted, ignoring her. Kohaku gritted her teeth. He was Senkuu's killer and even allowed himself to treat her with disdain.

"My name is Kohaku and I am at your complete disposal," she said, "whatever your request is, I will make sure to grant it." She knelt beside him to bring the rim of the glass to his lips, but Stanley pushed his head away.

The girl gritted her teeth and continued to smile joylessly.

"You drink first. I wasn't born yesterday, I know how it works. You want to torture me, but you don't know how many disturbing stuff I've seen, imagine if I let myself be frightened by that ape and some laxative."

Kohaku tried hard not to roll her eyes and drank half the glass.

"It is perfectly clean, my lord," she replied, holding out her glass again.

"My lord, pff, what are you out of  _ Game of Thrones _ ?" He muttered in response, barely moving his pelvis to sit better and the ropes holding him hit the wall.

Kohaku was confused.

"My lord I don't know what it is, forgive me."

"You didn't have television before the petrification? Who hasn't seen Got?" He asked her.

Kohaku got up and went to refill the glass.

"No, my lord. Actually, I know very little about the world before the Great Light. In the hundred stories everything one needs to know for a dignified life is mentioned."

"Great Light?"

"Yes, unlike Senkuu - may Gods guide him in the next life - I have not been petrified..."

_ At least not for 3700 years. _

"... and I don't know how it happened before then. He also told me that my way of expressing myself seems not contemporary, but it fits the-"

"Girl, do you really think I can drink this bullshit?" He cut her off, chuckling.

Kohaku smiled as softly as she could because the urge to hit him with the glass was quite strong.

"It is the truth, my lord."

"You can't prove it, so I have no reason to believe you. Give me the water and go away."

Kohaku made a small bow - as Gen had shown her - even though she hated it. It had been a clumsy bow, the mentalist had foreseen it and had said that for someone like Stanley it would be enough.

"From what I understand, all those who have been petrified are marked with a scar or more than one. Senkuu said it was normal, the result of the wear of the stone. My body is how Gods moulded it. "

Stanley chuckled again.

"Even if I don't see anything, it might be hidden by the dress as far as I know. If you care so much, you should get undressed."

The girl put the glass on the floor and with her hands took the hem of her dress.

"My lord, there is no worse offense in not being believed," she said and pulled the fabric up, revealing her thighs, the panties of the bathing suit she was wearing and her belly. Then she moved her hands to the center of the robe to hold it in place and lifted her to her breast to pull her from her head. She dropped it to the ground.

Her hair fell to her shoulders as she felt herself burn.

She had been in her bikini in front of the other guys before but it wasn't like now. A twinge in her lower abdomen made her toes curl against the soles of her sandals. Her legs trembled under Stanley's gaze.

It wasn't real shame, she didn't want to pick up the dress she had thrown away.

"Turn around," she heard him say after a few minutes and squeezed her legs together before doing a half-turn on herself. "Move your hair, you might have it on your neck or shoulder blades," Stan's voice startled her, reminding her of why she had taken off her dress. Her heart was beating so hard she seemed to be able to feel it against her ribs. She reached out and managed to twist her hair to one side, just as he was told.

She closed her eyes and sighed silently, waiting for him to tell her to change her position.

"I'm thirsty now."

"At your orders, my lord," she replied in a whisper, letting her hair fall on her back.

When Gen had told her to be ready for any order to make him trust her, she had laughed at him, but now it almost seemed like Stanley was cooperating.

She took the small basket that contained the gauze and some concoctions that were used for the bruises. Although distant, she had seen that Tsukasa had hit him several times on the abdomen. Certainly she should have touched it there. She looked at him again. His tight-fitting suit showed off his athletic physique and didn't appear to have been ruined - apart from dirty in multiple places - by the fight.

Kohaku shook her head and set the basket down on the ground. She knelt, took the glass and leaned over him to make him drink. Stanley closed his eyes and gripped the rim of the glass between his lips. The water went down slowly, entering his mouth to the last drop.

The strange shock in his belly continued as Kohaku thought about how proportionate Stanley's face was, with his long lashes on his cheek now that his eyes were closed. The glass in Kohaku's hands became lighter and, after tilting it even more, she pushed it aside as soon as she saw it empty completely. She looked down and noticed that attached to his belt, Stanley had a dagger in its lining.

She put down the glass without even looking where and straddled him, determined to disarm him. When Gen had said not to take anything away from him, she didn't think he was also referring to weapons.

Stanley pursed his lips to hold back a moan as Kohaku - unaware - tugged at him.

Eventually he managed to get the dagger out.

The blade had just been sharpened and the  hilt was incredibly decorated even though it wasn't colored. She looked at the weapon in her hands and at Stan's still covered neck. If she had let the dagger penetrate his flesh, he would have lost a lot of blood and even his life.

He was still, tied up, he could not defend himself as well as not being able to scream for the hit, if she had aimed at the vocal cords.

She wondered if slaughtering a killer was like slaughtering an animal before winter came.

Gen had told her that she should reassure him, leave a good impression on him and then proceed to the second phase, that of using his influence on Xeno and making them fall into the trap… but that blade… would have avoided many problems. The killer and whoever ordered him to kill would be punished - after all, it was enough to stab Xeno as soon as he approached the ship to recover his friend - and Senkuu's death would be avenged.

Soon she would have exhausted all her ideas of approach and not even the memory of the lessons of Amaryllis and Gen would have been useful to her.

"I know what you want to do... you can't wait, right? They preferred to send such a beautiful girl to make me die happy?"

Kohaku didn't answer.

She grabbed the edge of the high collar of the uniform Stanley was wearing and held it out before running the blade over it.

She yanked it again, wincing each time she moved lower across the fabric. Then she stretched it out, revealing his chest and sculpted abs, stared at him for too long.

"I didn't think you had such extreme tastes," he joked but Kohaku dismissed him, looking away.

"I must mend your wounds, my lord," she reminded him and herself aloud, dropping the dagger away from them.

"Pff, it's two scratches. I've suffered worse than a few kicks."

"You look very strong," she commented thoughtfully.

"You too. I finally understood who you are, I didn't recognize you like that since this ship is full of blondes... you are one of the samurai, quite impressive... you don't even look Japanese... where did Senkuu find you?"

"Under a tree, my lord."

She saw Stanley raise an eyebrow.

"Under a tree?"

"He saved me after I was blocked by a collapsed tree. I loved him right away, I love the smart ones."

"He was just a kid, sure you'll like smart men even more."

It was impressive how Gen had foreseen everything up until then. Stanley wasn't elegant, in fact he was almost the more practical version of Xeno. To impress him she had to show herself, as she was strong too, but at the same time she had to be more calm.

So Kohaku continued to trust the scenario that Gen had predicted.

"Gods will not allow me to fall in love with a man or more than one who is not worthy of me," she replied, sitting on his lap.

The man continued to look at her, waiting for her to add some details but Kohaku was careful enough not to talk more.

"What are the hundred stories?" He then asked her, "if you have never been petrified, how did you live up to now... no one managed to avoid the ray, of all only a small group managed to keep their minds active and thanks to that we woke up… but you…"

"I was born many millennia after the ray… indeed to be precise 19 years ago, almost 20. Yet my ancestors all lived after the petrification."

"Okay, but how?"

Now the most important moment of all had come. 

Gen had specified that she shouldn't have told Stan more about the Ishigami village, but only something to intrigue him.

Kohaku came closer to him and looked him in the eyes.

_ She had never noticed before, but did all men have such big cute eyes? _

_ He was still who killed Senkuu. _

"Gen told me that you smoke things called cigarettes... if you want I can..."

Stan's eyes widened.

"Yes, please. I have the pack with cigarettes and matches in my trouser pocket," he instructed her as Kohaku stretched her hands over his shoulders, just lifting her pelvis and touching him along his back.

The man looked at her. His breathing became labored and Kohaku bit her lip, looking away again before trying to reach the floor with her hands as the vertical height of his hips.

She felt her face grow warmer as Stanley continued to stare at her.

"You are still a virgin, aren't you?" He asked her. In his voice was all the will to mock her.

Kohaku didn't hold back and finally rolled her eyes. She could feel her face completely on fire.

"None of your business... my lord," she added, angrily.

"I can read it on your blushing face."

"The cigarettes must have fallen out..." she cut him short, "you still had the dagger but not some stupid cigarettes?"

"No, they didn't do anything to me but tie me up here, but you also half-undressed me. Imagine if someone came in now and found us like this," he said, chuckling, "Gods wouldn't be so happy, would they?"

"My lord, please excuse me," Kohaku replied as she settled better on his legs and pressed against his chest.

She could feel his warmth against her own skin. She moved her hand further back to the floor and finally felt something hard under her palm.

"Now I really need a cigarette," Stanley commented softly in her ear, believing he could provoke her with so little.  _ 'What an unbearable man,' _ thought Kohaku who with one last push forward managed to retrieve his package.

"Finally, blondie, it took you some time!" He exclaimed, "take a cigarette and light it from the white side."

Kohaku smiled and she did as he told her, even though Gen had already explained what they were and what they were for.

The man waited for her to put it between his lips to close them and smoke. He only opened one side of his mouth to exhale the smoke, without even asking Kohaku to help him. He closed his eyes and when he opened them again, he looked at the girl almost gratefully.

_ 'Smoking was addictive,' _ Gen told her,  _ 'and we're going to use it against Stanley. Only you will be able to make him smoke and so he will associate with you the pleasure that cigarettes give him.' _

"I've already smoked before without using my hands, I don't need you," he said, continuing to smoke.

The voice filtered from his mouth that had to hold the cigarette shook her from her thoughts.

"Perfect, my lord," she told him and reached out to take what she needed to medicate him. 

Stanley was a former military man and Gen had explained to her that it was a category in the old world about which many anecdotes were told. From what he had verified, Stanley was arrogant but differently from Xeno, it was more for violence as the only answer. However Xeno trusted him and he would have done anything if advised by him. Including talking to people that Stanley had already decided were worthy of his friend's attention.

Kohaku stroked his skin, running her fingers over the bruises on his side and Stanley gritted his teeth, but she pretended not to see his reaction.

If she said anything, he would downplay the pain and maybe even scream that he was stronger. Reactions that would have helped to tie a negative memory to their meeting.

She cleaned him with a rag, dried him and spread out some of the ointment that Senkuu had prepared like that one years ago to treat Gen's wounds. They had decided to bring a good supply just in case.

Suddenly she heard him cough and took what was left of the cigarette from his lips. She turned it off against his glass and left it on the floor as she finished dressing him.

Stanley remained silent, as if he didn't want to consume the aftertaste of the cigarette that still warmed his tongue.

They would arrange to meet Xeno as soon as Stanley's bruises disappeared. In fact, Xeno wouldn't have taken it well to see his underling injured and Stanley would never have said that he had let himself be beaten by a teenager.

According to Gen, they were both proud.

Once she was sure he was medicated, Kohaku stood up and looked at his pants.

"I should take these off, too," she announced, nodding at his legs.

"No, it's better not taking them off, not now. In fact, light me another cigarette."

"My lord, as you wish."

She took the glass and filled it with water. She knelt beside him and made him drink even though he hadn't asked her that. Stanley didn't comment, a sign that he appreciated her gesture.

Then she took a cigarette and lit it with a match.  _ 'The matches were cute,' _ she thought, as she put them back in the box. Avoiding to breathe the smoke, Kohaku got up, wiped the floor from what she had placed on it and took back the dress.

She checked Stanley out of the corner of her eye and saw him staring at her.

Another strange shock in her lower abdomen made her bite her tongue. She was tired, that day had gone on too long.

She picked up the edges of her robe and slipped her head and arms into the holes until it lay on her hips. She pushed her hair back and even though she had arranged everything on the small table in the cell, she had left everything she had brought there.

"See you tomorrow, goodnight, my lord," she said, earning a kind of grunt from Stanley, and left the room, hurriedly closing the door as if she had just escaped from chasing a pride of lions.

Waiting for her in the corridor there were Tsukasa who peered at her waiting to notice any signs of trouble and Gen who watched her with his arms crossed in the wide sleeves of his kimono.

"Tsukasa-chan has been instructed," Gen explained, letting the ex-boxer enter the cabin and then he holding out Stanley's pack of cigarettes.

Kohaku stopped him and whispered to him to get a change of clothes for the man and to treat the rest of his wounds as well. Tsukasa nodded but didn't seem at all interested in touching the annoying man.

Kohaku picked up the package and Gen started walking.

"From today, it will be your job to go to Stan-chan, I've already told you how important is you being associate by him with cigarettes... a bit like when a dog associates food with the sound of a bell... that's why I told you not to bring them away with you. Now he is yelling at Tsukasa for having deprived him of his beloved cigarettes and it is better this way."

"He really loves smoking those things."

"Thankfully Senkuu-chan didn't think of bringing them back to our world. They're disgusting," Gen commented. "How did it go? Did he say more or less what I predicted? I guess he was arrogant and even made some jokes about you..."

Kohaku thought about what she had felt as she undressed in front of his eyes and nodded.

"Yes. It was weird but I managed to do as you told me and not kill him. He's really annoying. He still had a dagger. I don't remember he used it in the fight, but I really risked using it to slit his throat. I have improvised because he had noticed it and I cut his shirt to medicate him... "

"Good girl, he's not stupid, he knows we hate him because he shot Senkuu. I noticed he also has the dagger, but he probably didn't use it because he thought it was useless to brandish weapons at a boy. He only did it when he was be having the worst. Our Tsukasa-chan is incredibly strong, but he just couldn't accept it. Stanley and - above all - Xeno underestimate us, Kohaku-chan. This is one of their limitations and like the others, we will also use this against them."

Kohaku crossed her arms against her chest, clutching Stanley's package to her.

"Xeno is wrong. You are the most powerful man in the world, Gen," she told him, looking at him. Gen stopped. He closed his eyes and slightly bowed his head to nod. "You can use the weaknesses and mistakes of others against them to ruin their life."

"Not I enjoy doing it, but everyone makes choices and pays for their consequences… now I'm willing to do anything for that and so you do. How did the Americans seem to you?"

Kohaku smiled.

"I want to become like you, I want to see them suffer and I want to be the one to do it."

  
  


Gen smiled but anyone, even Senkuu, would have called that grimace demonic.

"Rest, Kohaku-chan, your training begins tomorrow. You won't have another chance to succeed and I'm sure you will. Senkuu will be so proud of us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♧ This is my hc: Stan loves making pop cultural quotes and reference (Bicolor Harry Potter = magician = Gen; Blond Jack Sparrow = Pirate = Ryuusui; Game of thrones = old way to address to people and more). And in general he is more direct than Xeno. 
> 
> ♡ I really like Game of thrones in fact this story is called things we do for love which is a quote from the serie (="The Things I do for love" from the first episode of Got ever).   
> I really would like to know what you think about this chapter 🥺💚 I really love Stan and Kohaku moment!


	11. Z=170 Girl talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Minami giggled again. For her, who had had more opportunities for research, her innocence was almost funny.
> 
> "Kohaku dear, to desire a person, you just have to desire them. You don't need anything else. You can desire even your worst enemy, if they has something that attracts you," she explained.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ◇ If my fanfiction will be read even after this chapter, I can't fear anything anymore.   
> It's a filler chapter but the next one is too important and with different pov so something """"light"""" works.
> 
> ♤ I miss sengen so much 😭

When Kohaku entered the cabin, she was surprised to see that Tsukasa had released Stanley from the ropes.

Unlike on the first day, their host wasn't forced to sit on the floor, but he could move around the small room as he pleased.

Stanley, even though he wanted to appear uninterested in her arrival, looked at her waiting for what Kohaku had to give him.

Gen's purpose had worked. In a short time, Stanley had associated the cigarette with Kohaku and when he saw her, he seemed more relaxed. He had also avoided grunting her every now and then in response, preferring monosyllables. A big step forward, considering how gruff he was to her.

She handed him the cigarette and the matches and he took them, looking her in the eyes. Then he smiled at her just before he squeezed the filter of the cigarette with his lips and rubbed the match against its box.

He took the first puff almost groaning at how much he had missed smoking.

Kohaku arranged the small table, pretending to be busy not to look at it, but against her will it was all too easy for her to look up and see his face. When she looked down, it was even worse since the new clothes he was wearing left him almost completely exposed.

That strange sensation in her belly returned stronger than before.

She winced when Stanley cleared his throat.

"You really don't know cigarettes?" He asked suddenly as he waited to take another hit.

"No, my lord... we never had them and Senkuu never thought of creating them."

"Well I don't know if tobacco is also found in Japan, but considering that nature has been left to itself, probably all plants are... oh well, Xeno knows these things, not that I care too much."

Kohaku hid her smile behind her hand. It reminded her of her reaction when Chrome and Senkuu talked about stones.

"Don't you want to know what the cigarette tastes like, blondie?"

Kohaku found himself looking at Stanley's mouth and the cigarette peeking out between his rosy lips.

"What does it taste like?" She murmured in response.

"The cigarette is one of the most beautiful things ever, I could never be without it... you don't know the substances it is made of, so it's useless to tell you. Rather I can let you try it."

The girl waited, but Stanley continued to smoke, making no sign to pass her the cigarette.

"And how would you like me to try it, if you're finishing it?"

Stanley watched her while with his mouth he exhaled the smoke.

"I would never share my one cigarette of the day with anyone… but there is a way for you to try it anyway."

Kohaku rolled her eyes irritated by his presumption and suddenly felt Stanley draw closer. For a brief moment, she wondered if she should back down, but she never wanted to be weak and after all, something so stupid wouldn't affect Gen's plan.

Then she stood firm against his chest. Stanley was much taller than her. He watched her from above and barely moved against her. Kohaku understood that he wanted to move her.

She took a couple of steps back and Stanley walked over to her again, crashing back into her body. She raised her head and continued to look at him. She wanted to touch him, reach out her hands to touch the muscles of his arms. They were so toned.

She saw him pull the last drag of his cigarette and press it against the table to put it out. His mouth came even closer to hers, gripping her face with both hands.

The girl saw nothing else. She closed her eyes and gasped as she felt his lips touch hers. As soon as they overlapped, Stanley opened his mouth and let his breath join that of Kohaku, who after a moment of bewilderment, she got up on tiptoe to cling to his neck.

That strange feeling in her lower belly continued until it was unbearable.

Stanley's hands moved from her face to her hips to push her towards him again.

The man's tongue rubbed over Kohaku's and she couldn't help but moan at him. She opened his eyes slowly, but closed them immediately unable to see anything else, feeling the weight of his tongue against her own.

After a few seconds, Kohaku decided to move it, mimicking what he was doing and Stanley's hands grabbed her thighs to lift her against the wall and his chest.

Kohaku gasped, digging her tongue into his mouth. The outline of Stanley's teeth stung her but she didn't stop. She spread her legs to hold on to him as her back slammed violently against the wall.

Tomorrow she would have too many bruises, but she wouldn't even care. Stanley grabbed her hair to draw her attention to their mouths as she clung to his shoulders, her fingers sliding down his back that the shirt left uncovered. She dug her nails into his skin as they both rubbed against each other.

They parted with a loud snap and drops of their saliva slid down their chins.

Stanley bit her lower lip until it bled, making her moan without even caring that she could be heard.

Kohaku blinked, her skin feeling incredibly warm again. She felt like she had a fever. Everything trembled lower than her belly.

"Do you want-"

"Yes!" She gasped as she tightened her legs around his hips. She didn't even notice Stanley's smile against her neck.

Kohaku lowered her hand to lift her dress without wanting to change position when a forceful knock on the door made her eyes widen.

"No, no," she found herself saying.

"Shhh, ignore it," Stanley reassured her but his grip weakened until it disappeared. His touch had become just a memory.

Kohaku opened her eyes and she didn't find Stanley panting in front of her, but the ceiling.

She brought her hand to her forehead to wipe away the sweat but she didn't have the strength to do anything else.

"No, my God, no!" She murmured in confusion, panting and sweaty against the damp sheets.

It had been a dream.

Just a dream.

_ 'When she dreamed of something negative, it was called a nightmare,' _ she reminded herself, and what she saw was something negative.

She had dreamed of kissing Senkuu's killer. No, she had had a nightmare in which she and Senkuu's killer were fraternizing.

And even more.

It didn't make sense, she couldn't really have dreamed of such a nightmare.

She took a deep breath and stretched out her legs, trying to ignore how she felt strange her body still traumatized by what her mind had seen. She got out of the bunk bed and noticed that both Minami and Homura with whom she shared the cabin had not yet gone to sleep.

It was better this way, she reflected. If she talked in her sleep or made some awkward sound, she would be heard.

She got out of the cabin and let her hair down as she walked down the hall. She didn't know what time it was, but luckily the sky was still dark. After she calmed down, she would go back to sleep as Gen had already said there would be many hours of training.

The upper deck of the ship was completely empty, although lanterns were still lit for safety reasons. There was only indistinct noises beyond the trees on the shore.

She tied her hair and watched the river water flow past the ship.

Only then she realized that the robe she was wearing barely covered her thighs. Fortunately she was alone. She sat down on the ground and focused her attention on her breathing. 

She closed her eyes, but the figure of Stanley appeared in her mind.

The girl gritted her teeth and shook her head.

The tension of Gen's plan was hurting her.

"Kohaku?"

She leapt to his feet and stretched her arm forward, even though she no longer had her daggers, still seized by Ryuusui.

"Minami?"

"What are you doing here?"

The reporter looked at her curiously.

"No, what are you doing here."

Kohaku shrugged and turned to look up at the sky. She had never talked to Minami much but she was very close to Ruri and therefore she was also her friend.

"I had a nightmare," she replied, avoiding being seen in the face. Since she had entered Stanley's cabin hours before she had been blushing.

"Poor thing, I'll help you! Tell me what happened in your dream, maybe I can understand what it means! I was good when I interpreted my colleagues' dreams while we had some free time."

Kohaku's eyes widened. She had to say something, anything but the truth.  _ Did should she use some mentalism? _

"Um... I dreamed of Senkuu's death. There was blood everywhere, he was in pain, I started crying and I couldn't help him."

The reporter nodded.

"Unfortunately we will never forget Senkuu's death and you had to hear what happened from Ryuusui, who didn't leave out any details..."

"No, Ryuusui didn't tell me anything. I just thought about what happened and Stan's bullets-" she broke off with a cough, "they already scared me when we got here."

Minami nodded again and put an arm around her shoulders. Kohaku started thinking about who, at least in her dream - nightmare - had touched her, only to smile and let herself be embraced.

"Better not talk about it then. I just hope Senkuu didn't suffer when that bastard Stanley shot him."

Kohaku looked at her, but quickly looked away.

"Listen Minami, but when someone - in general, I mean - dreams of being kissed by a person, even if they hate that person... what does that mean?"

The reporter burst out laughing.

"Well it means they don't hate that person or, at least, they want them."

"But don't you have to at least be in love with a person to desire them?"

Minami giggled again. For her, who had had more opportunities for research, her innocence was almost funny.

"Kohaku dear, to desire a person, you just have to desire them. You don't need anything else. You can desire even your worst enemy, if they has something that attracts you," she explained.

"Something like?" She interrupted her.

"It depends on what you like! You can want a woman, a man, more women, more men, men and women together... because they are beautiful, intelligent or simply because they have a fabulous body! You can also want someone for their character: maybe you like the asshole type more instead of the kind one... "

"Asshole?"

Minami nodded. "Yes, he is someone who treats you badly, who provokes you, has more experience with women so he is more confident... many women love him."

"You like Tsukasa, even the-"

"No, no, Tsukasa is kind! Even if he looks bad! An asshole type is Mozu, for example."

_ 'Or Stanley,' _ Kohaku added only in her own head.

"You know, in my opinion you have yet to meet your type. I think you are fine with someone determined who can stand up to you and at the same time treat you better than the guys here who treat you like one of their own. Maybe someone who can share with you their knowledge and make you feel special, treat you like a queen."

_ And instead… _

"No, I don't know who I might like."

Kohaku hadn't forgotten the words she had said to Mozu in the harem, but she hadn't thought about it too much and above all, it didn't make sense to tell Minami.

"And when a woman feels a strange shock down," Kohaku asked, lowering her hand to her lower belly, "here... What does that mean?"

Minami sensed that Kohaku wanted to change the subject and above all, she really needed a girl talk.

"Little one, I can't believe you really don't know! But what's in the hundred stories?"

"Well, not this," she replied.

"Depends on when it happens and what strange shock means? Is it like something repeating itself, a twitch?"

"Ehm..."

"Like when you have a wound and you feel it throbbing with pain."

"Ah, yes! But it doesn't hurt, it's just annoying..."

Minami smiled softly at her and squeezed her hand on her arm.

"Ah… it means that the person you think about or see when you feel those contractions, turns you on so much. You want them. You can love them or hate them, but you want them so much!"

Kohaku coughed, trying to shake off what he had already thought had happened.

"But don't be sad, it's a good thing! There are many people who think that women shouldn't feel desire for just one man after marriage, but personally I don't feel like judging others... anyway, who is that you want so much that you have an erotic dream about?"

Kohaku stiffened.

"But no, I had a nightmare!"

"Okay, a nightmare... anyway if you dream of being with that person you want, even if you hate them, it's still called an erotic dream."

"Not my case, I just had a nightmare about Senkuu's death, I assure you!" She hastened to deny.

"Sure, honey... but remember my words in case you happen to, okay?" She answered her gently. "Of course you have grown up, your sister asks me about you every day, she misses you so much!"

"Yeah, I miss her too," Kohaku reiterated and relaxed as they had changed the subject.

"And why are you still awake?"

The reporter bit her lip.

"I couldn't sleep, I was thinking about everything that happened today. I also kind of cleared it up with Ryuusui, he's putting in a lot of effort to help us. And also Gen. They'll save us and realize what Senkuu wanted for the world. Together we will make it. "

"Yes, I trust them… and us."

At night the noises were more defined and when Ryuusui opened the door of the cabin where he slept with Francois and Senkuu, the girls had heard it. When he realized that Minami's lantern was lit, he pretended to yawn.

"Girls, what are you doing here? You should sleep!"

"Ryuusui!" Minami squeaked. "We were just talking about you and the fact that you were still awake too."

"A captain never sleeps," he replied proudly, before stroking Kohaku's head. "Koh-"

"Give me back my daggers," she interrupted annoyed. Like Minami, she too had wondered what Ryuusui was made of and like the journalist, Kohaku had also reevaluated him positively. He had tried to calm her after the news of Senkuu's death and everyone was hanging on his lips.

She knew he was trying to limit the damage by stripping her of the daggers, but she felt naked without them.

In fact she was half-naked, but Ryuusui didn't have that strange effect on her like someone else and that consideration irritated her even more.

"I'm sorry but as long as Stanley is on this ship, you won't be allowed to keep any weapons."

Kohaku snorted.

"What nonsense! I can always steal someone's weapon, even a knife that Francois uses to cook is fine for me to kill-" she broke off, thinking back to how hours ago she had taken the dagger from Stanley she had sat astride, in a swimsuite, on him and even after she hugged him while she retrieved the cigarettes and...

"I better go to sleep, goodnight," she muttered, even more confused than before.

Minami and Ryuusui looked at each other, but didn't comment.

"You should go too," he reminded her. "I already told you you shouldn't get tired!"

"I was waiting for Homura who is still with Hyoga standing guard."

"Yes, they are taking turns, and they all sleep near our hosts'cabins. They are light sleepers, they would be able to avoid problems if there were any. Go to sleep, Minami."

Minami gave up and said goodnight while Ryuusui went into the kitchens to make tea for Senkuu.


	12. Extra: Timeline

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a chapter, just the timeline of what happen until now in this story.

As I said, it's not a true chapter but it's too long for notes so here the timeline because I put some scenes before than others.

Each chapter is written and posted everyday while the canon story is in the same period so it could be confused (even there isn't write what time is). I won't post any chapter like this, don't worry, but now it's almost necessary!

**Timeline: Things we do for love (ch.1-ch.11)**

**Night X** : Senkuu has been killed, Stanley and the others return to the castle and meanwhile Xeno tells Gen what happened  _ [Chapter 1 - Z=160]. _ Team B (Hyoga, Tsukasa, Ukyo, and Suika) talk about having no communication  _ [Chapter 2 - Z=161]. _

**Late Night X** : Team A (Chrome and Kohaku) talk, Gen and the woman who is in charge of controlling him talk a bit (not shown in the story but only mentioned)  _ [Chapter 3 - Z=162]. _ Francois saves Senkuu, Ryuusui arranges and coordinates the others for the next day (Minami and Homura must talk to team A, others must hoist the black sails, and everyone must avoid approaching a certain cabin)  _ [Chapter 2 - Z=161] _

**_The day after:_ **

**Dawn** : Ryuusui, Francois and part of the crew, and Team B wake up and have breakfast (not shown, implicated), Senkuu is delirious with fever. Others like Gen hardly slept.  _ [Chapter 3 - Z=162] _ . The castle begins a new day too (not shown, implicated).

**Morning (around 8-11 a.m.):** Breakfast at the castle  _ [Chapter 3 - Z=162]. _ Xeno and Stanley moment; Gen hears about the ring and starts thinking about what to do  _ [Chapter 4 - Z=163]. _ Chrome wakes up and leaves Kohaku asleep (not shown), team B starts looking for team A. Francois keeps Senkuu in check  _ [Chapter 3 - Z=162] _ . Gen steals the ring and after a few minutes Xeno returns to the office  _ [Chapter 5 - Z=164]. _ Ryuusui tells Senkuu not to worry about the others who will soon return to the ship  _ [Chapter 3 - Z=162] _ . Ryuusui starts sneezing (because in the meantime Xeno and Gen were talking about him  _ [Chapter 5 - Z= 164] _ ). Ryuusui and Mozu talk  _ [Chapter 6 - Z=165] _ .

**Late morning (around 12-2pm):** Kohaku wakes up and with Chrome they get the news to return to the ship _ [Chapter 4 - Z=163], _ team B approaches them. Gen and the others leave the castle to go to the ship  _ [Chapter 6 - Z=165] _ . Kirisame talks to Francois and the rest of the crew pray for a bit _ [Chapter 4 - Z=163]. _ Team B and Team A meet and head to the ship  _ [Chapter 6 - Z=165] _ .

**Early afternoon (2-3 p.m.):** Minami confesses to Ryuusui that she called Ruri and told the village that Senkuu is dead. Ryuusui hugs her and inadvertently confirms Gen's version because Stanley and co. are keeping an eye on them  _ [Chapter 7 - Z=166] _ Team A and team B find Stanley and co and save Gen.  _ [Chapter 7/Chapter 8 - Z=167] _

**Afternoon (4-5 p.m.):** Everyone returns to the ship. Gen has his outlet and Ryuusui informs the others of Senkuu's death.  _ [Chapter 8 - Z=167/Chapter 9 - Z=168] _ . Gen convinces Kohaku to follow his plan  _ [Chapter 9] _ and they speak privately  _ [Chapter 10 - Z=169] _

**Late afternoon (5-6 pm):** Gen (and Kohaku) talks to Xeno (shown). After the call, Gen tells Kohaku what to do with Stanley (not shown)  _ [Chapter 10 - Z=169]. _

**Evening (7-8 p.m.):** Kohaku meets Stanley and does a little part of Gen's plan  _ [Chapter 10 - Z=169]. _

**Night (around 2 a.m.):** Kohaku has a sort of erotic dream about Stanley, and she talks to Minami… practically her first girl talk.  Ryuusui meets them and once alone, he goes to make tea to Senkuu who has woken up  _ [Chapter 11 - Z=170]. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow new chapter, sorry for the recap!


	13. Z=171 Gratefulness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I don't want... to save myself to... see them die, please..."
> 
> Ryuusui noticed how tired Senkuu was of being forced to hide from his friends, but his instinct as a captain told him that he would soon be the same Senkuu as ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ Sorry for the extra chapter yesterday, but here we go with another real chapter! Everything in this chapter is taken the day after the chapter 11. Hope the timeline was useful!
> 
> ◇ Thank you for who has voted! ♡

"Kohaku-chan, I already told you, sit down politely," Gen scolded her as he combed her hair. Fortunately, they still had the products Senkuu had prepared for her when they were on the Treasure Island. "If we had a coin, it would be easi-" he broke off, running out of the cabin without saying anything else.

Kohaku snorted, not even wondering what he meant.

The nightmare and the chat with Minami had drained all her vitality and in addition, Gen had not only kept talking, but had also begun to tell her how to behave.

She didn't like being controlled at all, much less being told what to do.

If it weren't to avenge their Senkuu's death, she would never have let anyone want to handle her ways.

_Maybe letting herself be combed and saying she had to be composed was better than listening to another phone call with Xeno_ , Kohaku suspected. The man was incredibly angry and treated them with arrogance. She probably wouldn't control herself and punched him as soon as he got closer to the ship.

In fact, Xeno hadn't even let Gen speak; he had done nothing but say that Stanley had to be released, that his loyal soldier had no reason to be there and if anything happened to him, they would all regret it bitterly.

Each sentence was heard, but soon ignored. Gen only had said that they would organize a meeting soon to clarify their positions.

Xeno hadn't been happy at all about having to be without Stanley for an unspecified amount of time, and Kohaku wasn't thrilled about having to spend more days with him either.

Kohaku had also asked Gen how long it would take for their habit plan to work, but he didn't give her a clear answer. According to him, Stanley had a high ability to adapt and the only pleasure he had - smoking - was something he would never do without.

Kohaku had her doubts, but didn't protest except when Gen returned with one of the coins they had used when they had played Poker.

"Put it between your thighs," he said, holding it out.

Kohaku made an annoyed face.

"Where should I put it?"

_He was joking, of course. He couldn't have said such a thing seriously._

"A little higher than the knee. Then close your legs. If it falls, it means that you have opened them again. And if Xeno realizes that we are deceiving him..."

_He wasn't kidding then._

Kohaku snorted and took the coin, turning it over in her fingers.

Gen had overestimated her. She would never be able to convince a twisted man like Xeno. Stanley, on the other hand, made her feel strange and that dream she had had the night before had ruined her fragile balance even more.

However, there was no point in complaining. She had said by herself that she would want to avenge Senkuu at any cost. She lowered her head and adjusted the token as carefully as he had told her. Gen waited for her to finish before clearing his throat.

"I didn't tell you yesterday, if you guessed right, remember? About what you said about Stan and Xeno's relationship."

"Yes. I said their bond didn't seem as solid as the one between you and Senkuu. So?"

Kohaku, in order not to drop the coin, was trying to stand up straight and not spread her legs. It could work.

Gen resumed combing her straight hair.

"I'm not very objective in saying that our relationship was something not comparable to any other relationship. Between me and Senkuu-chan, there was everything a person could want. Senkuu-chan's behaviour wasn't easy for those in need of reassurance on the emotional side, yet I never once doubted that I loved him and that he loved me. Now I wish I was back in Japan with Senkuu-chan, while we were rebuilding the village, improving it with school, doing chocolate on Valentine's Day, working all together for the first ship of the new world, hoping to find the inheritance left by Senkuu-chan's father. But that's not possible."

Kohaku looked down guilty. She made him think about Senkuu. 

She whirled around, feeling the hair pulling from the hands of the mentalist who hadn't expected the girl to want to hug him. Yet Kohaku threw her arms around his neck, holding him close.

The coin rolled to the floor soundly.

"I was very fond of Senkuu. He saved the life of my sister, my village, me and others. Yesterday you said that the pain is so strong that we must share it with whoever caused it and I will do everything to succeed. I am not good at this like you, I don't know if I'm doing everything you tell me right, but I want to help you. I want to make them suffer."

"Kohaku-chan," Gen muttered, noticing only then, after moving the girl's hair from in front of his eyes, that the token had fallen to the ground. He smiled even if little tears caressed his cheeks. "Tell me what happened with Stanley yesterday. If you made a mistake, we can correct it, but i'm sure you did great."

Kohaku retrieved the coin from the ground and blew on it to clean it as she searched for the right words to describe him what had happened in detail.

Suddenly she felt a hand of Gen on her own face and winced.

"You're blushing, Kohaku-chan! You're practically hotter!"

"Um... it's nothing... we were talki-"

"What did Stanley do?"

"Nothing."

 _Technically she had done it all by herself._ "Kohaku-chan, don't worry. You can tell me everything; even the smallest clue could be useful for analyzing his personality."

Kohaku sat down and adjusted the coin in its place before straightening her back and taking a deep breath.

She closed her eyes and had the feeling that for a few minutes, she wouldn't be able to open them again without feeling embarrassed.

"This time, Gen... I'll tell you everything."

\---

Ryuusui hadn't thought that this should have been the day of Senkuu's funeral and that soon everyone would be wondering where his body was (no matter how disfigured), and why he and Francois were always locked in that cabin (even if there was the excuse of not feeling well).

After the burial, however, he would have no real reason to deny them access to that room… unless he locked it. Even if they had asked him why, he could have avoided them. It would just be an 'empty' cabin in their eyes.

Besides, Senkuu would never be able to stay in that tiny room, doing nothing, once he was healed. He would also have been able to get caught because he was bored, and considering that everyone Xeno sent to spy on them had been captured, he didn't even have reason to stay hidden.

He considered telling everyone and faking a funeral, anyway Xeno couldn't find out.

Kaseki was working on the coffin, albeit reluctantly. Meanwhile, he had thought of filling it with boulders until it reached Senkuu's weight and grouping them in a sheet so as not to make them move, but he too knew it was a fairly risky plan.

"Ryuusui-sama," Francois said. "Senkuu-sama, he's calling you," they pointed as they set up the cabin.

"Senkuu," Ryuusui focused only on him, placing a hand on his sweaty forehead. It was hot, not too hot, but it was clear that he still had a fever. "How are you? Are you feeling better?"

"I feel… like… they shot me," he tried to chuckle but couldn't. "But better, Francois… put up with me... so much in these hours… how can I... repay them..."

"It's an honor for me, Senkuu-sama," Francois replied from an unexpected spot in the room.

Senkuu's smile didn't fade and he couldn't help but close his eyes.

He just raised his hand and Ryuusui grabbed it.

"Gen… what is he doing? He didn't put himself… in danger, did he? That bastard of a mentalist…" he asked, smiling with a small involuntary grimace.

"Don't worry, I promised you I'd check him out," he replied, moving a lock of hair from his face. "And I will. He asked me to check on you and I failed. I don't want to do the same again."

Senkuu chuckled or rather tried.

"Don't bullshit... me... dude... I know Gen has something in mind... I can feel it..."

Ryuusui squeezed his hand more while with the other he took the wet cloth from Francois and placed it on his forehead, making him flinch at the change in temperature.

"I don't know, he says he has a plan but for sure, he'll change his mind when he meets you again."

"And?"

"Don't worry, come on, just don't worry."

"What does Gen want to do?"

Ryuusui couldn't ignore it any longer.

"I don't know. The only thing he said was that he involved Kohaku in his plan."

Senkuu just raised his head from the pillow to look at him, but settled back.

"I don't want... to save myself to... see them die, please..."

Ryuusui noticed how tired Senkuu was of being forced to hide from his friends, but his instinct as a captain told him that he would be the same old Senkuu again.

"They won't, I assure you that we will be able to build our plane. And you will hug Gen."

Ryuusui saw him close his eyes and cry. In the last few hours, he had seen too many people shed tears, loudly or silently, to have any doubts about it.

He ran his fingers along his face, under his eyes and across his temple to dry them.

"Ryu... you kept... your promise to... Gen. It's only... thanks to you two... if I'm here, talking... to you."

Ryuusui smiled with his eyes closed. 

"Talking is a bit strong word, Senkuu. You're just stuttering," he joked but leaned over him and left a kiss on his hair.

"Thank you... thank... you..." he sighed and finally managed to smirk too.

\---

"What an honor! The virgin princess again to keep me company."

The cabin door had just closed and Kohaku already wanted to leave. Sleeping after the nightmare had helped her not think about it, but telling it to Gen had brought that strange restlessness back to her.

Contrary to what she believed, Gen had managed to use what she had reported to add details to Stanley's personality picture, reassuring her that it was normal to feel attraction to a man as confident as himself.

For Kohaku it was more of a defeat than an obvious fact.

Gen also added that Stanley was probably used to flirting to get what he wanted or that he had a great influence even on women he didn't care about at all.

However, Kohaku prepared what she needed and changed to go to his cabin.

Considering that the cigarettes wouldn't last until his imprisonment, Kohaku had asked if one could be made and Gen had described to Suika how a tobacco plant was made for her to search for.

But when Kohaku was back in the cabin and Stanley had greeted her like that, she wanted so much to leave the tray on the table and leave.

She couldn't do it, she had experiments to carry out.

"I'm not a princess," she retorted even though Gen had specifically told her not to respond to his taunts.

"So are you really a virgin?"

Kohaku gritted her teeth as she poured a glass of water.

"What do you care?" She answered again. "My lord..." she remembered to add at the end.

Stanley shrugged, even though it was rather uncomfortable in his position.

"Because I could help you change your situation."

Kohaku smiled, hoping that the memory of his nightmare would never resurface.

And instead of making him drink, she walked over to him and began to untie the knot of the rope that held his right hand steady.

"Are you really freeing me? Is this an invitation?"

Kohaku continued to smile until she was able to free him at least for that side.

"No. Just that having spent all these hours in this position must have been painful."

"How do you know I won't run away or hurt you? You're not even armed, blondie."

"You're not either," she reminded him. "You won't run away because Tsukasa is out the door. You are a smart man, you know he could catch you when he wants again and he might even kill you."

Kohaku finished untying the knot on one side. She walked to the other side and started doing the same thing with the rope that tied him to the left side.

"As for the part of not hurting me," she replied, sitting down between his legs. "Go ahead and it will be the last thing you do in your life."

Stanley smiled.

"I like resolute ones like you. If I'm not careful, I might as well fall in love with the virgin princess," he joked, giving her goosebumps.

"To desire a person it is enough to desire them. If I were you, I would fear that more."

"Intelligent, determined, beautiful, unselfish. Maybe you are my hallucination."

Kohaku wanted to laugh but preferred to give him a shy smile and move away from him. She sat down a meter from Stanley who finally decided to move his now aching shoulders and arms (although he would never have said it and had to hide the grimaces of pain as he moved them).

"I listened to the last phone call from Dr. Xeno. He asked for you, he was furious and couldn't wait to see you again. I'm almost jealous of your love."

"What's between me and Xeno is something that is not easy to make someone like you Japanese understand, my dear blondie. Love isn't correct enough to describe us."

"Help me understand... Xeno really looks like an interesting man and I already understand that you, my lord, hide so many surprises... what is there between these two such bossy men?"

Stanley rubbed his neck before answering.

"What do I get if I talk? I'm not here to entertain you or to be infamous."

Kohaku nodded. "I told you yesterday, didn't I? I'm here at your disposal for everything... what do you want?" She asked, getting up and taking the glass of water she had poured earlier. She handed it to him and he took it. She saw him drink softly. She saw him lick his still wet lips and finally look at her.

  
  


"You already know what I want from you," he finally said and Kohaku stared into his eyes as she thought back to that dream from the night before.

She fell to her knees in front of him.

"Don't worry. Just tell me."

Stanley looked down at her forms and then returned to look into her eyes.

"What's between me and Xeno, it's not like what's between you kids. Xeno and I grew up together, we cried together, we laughed together. We chose what life told us to do without lose sight of each other and even if sometimes we couldn't be together, we knew, we existed for each other. I am his wife, his brother, his son, his nephew, I am his lover, his friend. I am all he needs. We will build a perfect world and we will do it together. Every word has no meaning in the face of what I can be to him, if only he asked me. And now give me my cigarette, so you knew I wanted that."

Kohaku nodded, smiling. She understood why Gen couldn't give a real explanation for the connection between Stanley and Xeno.

"I think it is beautiful what is between you, you are very lucky," she replied sincerely and, once she was sure he heard her, she stood up, turning her back to him.

"Yeah," he agreed, but Kohaku was pretty sure he liked her answer (Gen had foreseen a similar situation and she had used the technique he reminded her).

When she turned with the cigarette and the matches in her hand, Kohaku found herself standing in front of Stanley, as in her dream.

Without needing to speak, Kohaku put the cigarette between his lips and lit it. Then she left him there, smoking, alone as she came out of the cabin, smiling.


	14. Z=172 Mess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "A killer and a girl as righteous as you... we can't be more different than that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [I learnt how to link in notes so here the poll I put in the yesterday chapter ♡](https://twitter.com/cinicalamente/status/1292966043690971137?s=19)

There was nothing wrong with what she wanted to do, Kohaku told herself as she walked back to Gen to tell him what had happened with Stanley. It was useful for their plan, Kohaku was convincing herself.

"Gen!" She called him, who turning towards her.

"You took a little while, did something happen?" He worried.

"Ehm..."

Gen took her hands and smiled at her.

"Kohaku-chan, honey, you can tell me everything."

"It's not because of that. It's just that I had an idea, I think it might help him feel comfortable with me."

"Do it, it's perfect."

"But you don't have heard me either-"

Gen shook his head.

"You are smart, Kohaku. I have complete faith in you. Did he say anything useful?"

"He told me about his relationship with Xeno."

Gen's eyes widened.

"How? How did you do it? Kohaku-chan, you are amazing! You are really good at this," he replied, passing his arm under hers to lead her into a cabin away from the others.

Once they crossed the threshold, they were interrupted by someone else's surprised cry.

Francois sprinted forward while Ryuusui was quick enough to cover Senkuu with a sheet.

"Sorry but this cabin is occupied," the butler said as they approached the door.

"Sorry!" Kohaku exclaimed, dragging Gen out of the room.

The mentalist allowed himself to be guided outside, without having time to look around.

"Gen?"

"Sorry, we were saying... what were you able to make him say?"

Kohaku grabbed Gen's arm as they walked.

"I was surprised he said something too, but I remembered when you said everyone wants to talk about what they love. He told me that he and Xeno have something much more serious than our relationships. He is his everything... even if he didn't use those words. He said he is his wife, brother, nephew, lover and friend and all that Xeno needs. I didn't think about its meaning, I just said that what they have is beautiful and they are lucky. "

"Interesting," Gen commented, looking straight ahead before turning to her. "It was what we needed."

"And…"

"You gave him the perfect answer, you understood well how you have to behave, but I feel you are still unsure of yourself."

"I don't know if…"

"Kohaku-chan, look at me..."

Kohaku did as he said after sighing.

"You are fantastic, you succeed where I would have failed. Stanley has to trust you, even if he is very suspicious."

"Why? Why should he talk to me? Why doesn't he treat me as badly as he does Tsukasa? Even though he gives me horrible jokes and fake compliments."

"Because he can smoke thanks to you. Addictions can drive a person more than reason," he replied, "and because of all of us you are the one he has had a good impression of. In these contexts some people develop a sort of attraction to their own jailer especially if they seems the most human among the others. I don't know what trauma Stanley has, but if he prefers you to others, that's what we need."

Kohaku crossed her arms and Gen stopped her.

"I'm sorry if I put you in this mess... I'm demanding a lot from you, I can stay close to you and advise you, but only you will be able to save us and avenge Senkuu."

Kohaku shook her head.

"It's weird, I want to do everything I can to help you, but I feel it's too unnatural for me."

Gen caressed her face.

"I remember that as soon as you met me, you judged me as a bad person and you were ready to kill me to save Senkuu. It was then that I thought you had a talent for my art. You are a kind-hearted, spontaneous and intelligent person, but everyone underestimates you and you're tired of being underestimated, aren't you?"

Kohaku didn't answer, not wanting to confirm what she had always thought.

"What do you want to do? What is the idea you wanted to implement?"

Kohaku didn't want to meet her gaze but she tried hard.

"I loosened Stanley's strings. I think his arms hurt from the position and so to make him feel better... I could give him a massage."

Gen opened his mouth to say something, but Kohaku continued.

"But I don't know how to give them massages."

  
  


"We'll fix this right away."

Gen went back to the booth and knocked on the door. Francois, more tired than before, opened the door.

"Gen-sama, what can I help you with? What do you want?"

"Francois," he said, looking at Kohaku for a moment. "Can you do massages?"

The butler made a small bow and closed the door behind them.

"Sure, Kohaku-sama and Gen-sama."

\---

Tsukasa, when he opened the door and saw Kohaku again, looked at her with suspicion.

"Will you let me in?" She asked him, waiting for him to move. "Gen has c-"

"Are you here again?"

"So it seems," she replied quickly. "I have to see Stanley."

"You released him earlier, why?"

Kohaku shifted the weight from one leg to the other.

"I may have forgotten to warn you," she apologized, "didn't I cause you any trouble?"

Tsukasa opened the door and let her in.

Kohaku widened her eyes and passed what she was holding to Tsukasa as she approached Stanley who had a shattered and bleeding lip as well as being tied not only by the wrists but also by the waist and legs.

"I thought he wa-"

"What did you do, did you want to kill him?"

Tsukasa set the first aid kit and water down on the table.

Stanley who had his head bowed. It only held up thanks to the ropes. He had probably passed out from the pain. Kohaku brushed his hair away from his face, but it fell back before his closed eyes.

"I told you you shouldn't hurt him! You just had to tie him up again!" Kohaku exclaimed.

Tsukasa impassive, retorted, "Maybe you forgot that he killed Senkuu."

New bruises, in addition to the face, delayed the possibility of facing Xeno, who certainly, if he had seen him in this condition, would have craved the cruelest revenge possible.

Gen had assured that they were treating him well and instead...

"Not just him. Here most of the ship tried to kill him and someone tried to kill me too," she spelled out, unable to stop looking at Stanley's face. "Or maybe Tsukasa, you were sorry that he did it right unlike you!" She yelled and - only after looking at him - Kohaku realized how serious what she said was. Tsukasa however didn't answer. He turned and walked out, slamming the door.

Left alone, Kohaku set a blanket on the floor as she felt his stomach contract with agitation.

That sentence had managed to upset and irritate her too, but it came out spontaneously.

Gen had said that Stanley had priority over everything and she, as soon as she got to his cabin, thought nothing else that she had to win his trust.

She began to untie the ropes in his arms and legs. Stanley's powerless body nearly slid to the floor and Kohaku grabbed him by the hips.

"Stan..." she called him, "Stan!"

His face landed against her shoulder, splattering her with blood as Kohaku hastily untied the knot of the last ropes. She squeezed him to keep it from falling to the ground and lifted it to lay it on the blanket.

Kohaku took some rags and soaked them to wipe the blood off his face.

She felt Stanley's hand touch her arm.

"Sorry, it's my fault he hit you, I didn't tell him I got rid of the ropes, oh my god,"

"Call me... Stan, not god."

Kohaku gasped, unable to understand what he had to say.

"You're an idiot," she replied sweetly, unable to contain herself.

Stanley wrapped his hand around her wrist.

"He... tickled me... that ape... he's nothing... blondie."

Kohaku stroked his pale hair stained with blood that had just clotted.

"I had to change the dressings first, I had to..."

"It's the head trauma that speaks but... you look even more beautiful up close."

"And you're an idiot! Don't force yourself to say this nonsense!" Kohaku started lifting his shirt and noticed that he had an old scar under his navel that she hadn't seen the day before. She stroked it with her fingertips making him wince.

"What happened to you? Who did it to you?"

Stanley coughed but didn't answer her.

Kohaku got up and took what she needed to clean it of the remnants of the ointment to cover each bruise with another compress.

"It will take me at least half an hour to cure you, should we be silent?"

Stanley chuckled and his lips tightened into a smile.

"My little blonde, it's not such an interesting story."

Kohaku moved the gauze and began to clean it.

"I'll tell you one, then. Once I fell from a tree, I was 6 or maybe 7 years old. Actually I had always climbed, so I was already nervous about falling but I cried for two hours from the pain, hidden because I didn't want to be seen by Chrome, who was out looking for herbs, and Ginrou used to play where I was. I have a very small scar under my foot because I fell on a sharp stone," she recalled as she continued to check the state of the bruises the day before. "The story behind your scar will certainly be more interesting..."

"Yours is quite boring, blondie.They… stabbed me with a kitchen knife. I was going to die three years before the petrifaction, considering how sensitive that spot was."

"What? Why..."

"I found myself in the wrong place, at the wrong time."

"Why?"

Stanley was silent and Kohaku knew it was better not to insist. Gen advised her never to try to force a person to speak. Yet she wanted to know, she wanted to hear why that scar would stay with him forever.

"I have a lot of scars, I've caused a lot of scars to others. I'm not really a good person, blondie," he mused aloud, raising his head to the blanket as Kohaku ran the cloth under his chin to wipe it off.

"I don't think you're a good person, however I think you've made choices and are facing their consequences. I have no reason to judge you."

"The ape is right, I killed Senkuu, you should hate me."

"Who said I don't?" Kohaku retorted. She shouldn't have done that, but it was true. She hated Stanley and couldn't wait to take revenge and with Gen's plan it would take too long.

Tsukasa had beaten him, he was practically stationary on the ground without being able to move, it would be enough for her to break the jug to stick a piece of glass in his heart.

Yet she did not.

"I hate you for killing Senkuu, but I don't hate you because Senkuu wouldn't let me. He forgave anyone who hurt him. It was one of his best qualities."

"Forgive... who knows what you try to do..."

"It's a weird feeling, I'll never get used to it, but some people show you that they deserve forgiveness and can change," Kohaku explained. "And it becomes the best decision ever made."

Stanley closed his eyes.

"Senkuu was a really mature guy… I'm sorry."

Kohaku said nothing, hurried to medicate him and lower his shirt, which after breaking his own, had given him one that they used in the village.

"Senkuu lives in our hearts and I hope no one else dies. I'm tired of fearing for everyone's life."

Stanley couldn't smile. His mouth remained stretched out in a long flat line.

"A killer and a girl as righteous as you... we can't be more different than that."

Kohaku chuckled.

"Do you need other reasons to fall in love with me?" She asked jokingly.

Stanley didn't answer and didn't even try.

  
  


"Thanks for your help, blondie," he murmured unexpectedly after a few minutes. He took Kohaku's hand and brought it to his mouth. He touched it with his lips barely, staining it with blood.

Kohaku involuntarily moved her other hand to stroke his head, then lowered and continued to medicate him in silence.


	15. Z=173 Fragments

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though Stanley was a prisoner of theirs, he had been captured and beaten more than once, he still retained his authority.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♧ Very short chapter this time because I was a bit tired and blue today... i don't know if the story is becoming boring or worse but It's important for Gen's plan. Also there is - at least I want to put - more attention to psychological side. And things need development and developments aren't fast.
> 
> ♡ Of course Sengen is the most important ones here, even without them in the same room, everyone talk about them so thank you for who is still reading! 💘

When Kohaku came out of the room where Stanley was being held, she knew she had made a few steps forward with him. In their subsequent meetings, it would have been easier. Gen had said he should have seen her as the good one and with Tsukasa's outburst, even though it sounded pretty bad to say it, it had been vital to speed things up.

Then, she closed the door after telling Stanley she would come back to him a few minutes later.

There was something vitally important to do first.

Tsukasa was sitting on the ground in the corridor and, - without even looking up - he noticed that the girl had left the cabin.

Kohaku knelt beside him and took his hand.

Hyoga, who was with him, silently passed them, leaving them alone. Homura didn't comment, imitating him and walking away with him.

"Sorry, I was numb and maybe I said what I always thought. I can't forgive like Senkuu, but I'll try and I had to tell you what I did. It's no excuse, but I was too absorbed in what I was doing to remind myself. I-"

"What are you doing? Either you are with him or with Gen... you have a pl-"

Kohaku moved her hand over his mouth to keep him from saying too much.

She had left Stanley lying on a blanket still sore from the fists and ropes that had been tightened around his wrists, but that didn't mean he couldn't hear them.

"I wanted to tell you that I was sorry for reacting that way, but Stan is a man who does not deserve all this. He is our guest and as such must be treated with care."

Tsukasa looked at the wooden door for a moment as if it could give him any answers he needed and nodded.

"I only thought later, when you came back, that he wasn't to blame, but I had already hit him. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry, I hope I cleared up with you… now I still have to be with him, I think I'll sleep here tonight."

"No, you can't!" He exclaimed surprised. "Sleeping with him?"

"I know I can't do such a thing, but please take care of him."

Tsukasa looked at her. They couldn't speak freely there and if Stanley heard that the guard had changed, he would try to escape.

_'It was all Kohaku's plan, for what?'_

The girl smiled at him.

If Stanley would have felt she was caring about him, he would probably have been grateful.

Tsukasa nodded again. "Okay."

"Sorry for what I said. We all love Senkuu and if you're here, it's because he forgave you and I had to too."

"You are right not to stand me, after all... I never apologized for trying to kill you."

Kohaku hugged him.

"It doesn't matter what you did in the past. Now you would give your life to defend me."

The ex-boxer looked away.

"That might be true."

Without saying anything else, Kohaku got up and opened the cabin door to go back to Stanley.

\---

Asagiri Gen was Japan's best mentalist.

A celebrity for his loyal audience, an example to follow for those who want to be more than just a magician, but despite this many things escaped his abilities.

According to what Xeno had said, he had met Senkuu and knew how smart he was… reason he could have used better, instead of wanting to kill him. However, his choice explained what his personality was or at least one trait of his disturbed mind.

His enemies were to be eliminated and if he had not yet done so with them it was only because he had no people to command while they were more numerous.

He had the impression that Xeno loved - in the true sense of the word - only Xeno.

It wasn't hard to guess that Xeno would kill them, if he got the formula to awaken the statues.

Even if a man as smart as he was, hadn't he ever tried to experiment like Senkuu had? The few people who woke up were lucky; or rather unfortunate considering that they were forced to follow such a man.

How many things he ignored, and how many of them would hinder his plan?

However, Xeno wasn't the only one with the blame. Everyone had responsibilities for their actions and unfortunately, reality was not to be ignored. Xeno was charismatic but still evil.

Their hours were numbered, and Gen knew it well.

Also the plan to involve Kohaku since by now Xeno would never trust him and in reality he could never get the same results without turning his beloved Senkuu-chan into the grave.

Gen couldn't help but sigh.

Yet he felt it was the best and most challenging plan of his entire career.

"Hyoga-chan," Gen called the boy who was passing by next to him at that moment. Probably to take a break since he had been busy with the prisoners until then. Immediately behind him there was Homura, his most faithful ally.

"Kohaku-chan, are you still at Stan-chan's?"

"Tsukasa beat him and she defended the American. She locked herself in the cabin and I don't know anything else... except when we went up to lunch, they were talking."

Gen's eyes widened.

He had to make sure the situation was better than what he was dreading.

"Kohaku-chan, however, will be out… after all, she must have lunch too."

"We haven't seen her," Homura corrected him. "Maybe he's still with the prisoner."

Gen sighed and thanked them, before heading to the cabins.

\---

Gen wanted to ask Tsukasa but the boy's expression was quite annoyed even before he opened his mouth.

He only knocked on the cabin door.

No one answered.

For a moment, he feared the worst. But after opening the door, he never expected to see what there was in front of him.

Stanley wasn't tied up like Tsukasa had told him he had put him on the night before, but he was lying on a blanket full of bandages and with his clothes shifted and Kohaku was lying on his right, in a more messy way with her legs towards the door and the head on the blanket with her hair brushing Stanley's side. Gen walking, noticed that the girl was clinging to the blanket with her fingers, like when a child slept hugging their favorite stuffed animal.

Stanley and Kohaku weren't touching in their sleep, but it felt like watching two friends rest together.

"Koha-"

"She's asleep, go away."

Stanley's voice was low and fast. He didn't hide the desire to chase him away neither.

His eyes were closed, a sign that he had probably heard him enter from the start but wanted to ignore him.

"But it's lu-"

"Later," he sighed in response. "Get out."

Gen gasped.

Even though Stanley was a prisoner of theirs, he had been captured and beaten more than once, he still retained his authority.

Gen turned to hide his reaction.

Kohaku had fallen asleep and he, although awake, had let her rest.

It was a good sign. 

Even too much.


	16. Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stanley didn't like people who talked too much. Although he adored Xeno, one of the things that made him annoyed about him was when the scientist talked to him about things he didn't understand while he was relaxing during his cigarette break, even though the light in Xeno's eyes from the enthusiasm of sharing what he had discovered it made him smile fondly.
> 
> And listening to Kohaku wasn't at all displeasing to him either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♧ Sorry for not updating yesterday but at least one time per week is a not update day, for me who I am tired and for you to read something you may have time to read during the week. I want to write a smut one-shot on hottest threesome ever (Xeno - Kohaku - Stanley) so I probably do it in the next week. In this fanfiction, the only important relationship will be sengen. 
> 
> ◇ [Last call for the poll, thank you if you want to vote or already did!](https://twitter.com/cinicalamente/status/1292966043690971137?s=19) I thought that soft Xeno would win before this poll, but I would like to use soft Xeno for the newest idea of the fanfiction I had yesterday. Who knows.
> 
> ♤ Thank you for reading and enjoying this story, if you want to let me know something, don't forget to comment, love you 💘💘💘

Stanley didn't like people who talked too much. Although he adored Xeno, one of the things that made him annoyed about him was when the scientist talked to him about things he didn't understand while he was relaxing during his cigarette break, even though the light in Xeno's eyes from the enthusiasm of sharing what he had discovered it made him smile fondly.

And listening to Kohaku wasn't at all displeasing to him either. 

He had no other company or his freedom.

He didn't understand many things the girl was talking about like who Chrome and Ginrou were, even though he didn't think they were important people on the ship, for others things he wondered if it would be useful to memorize them for the future. However, he knew very well that this girl wasn't stupid and certainly she was not revealing some important secret to him.

He had no other options than listening to her, in his condition.

Kohaku's hands and voice were kind, but he also knew she could give him a hard time.

Stanley closed his eyes as Kohaku's words became more and more confused and silent so that he could not hear her anymore.

He opened his eyes and saw her yawn and settle on the floor.

"Blon..." he tried to call her, but fell silent, noting that the girl was in an awkward position even to sleep. He tried to get up to sit down, but his arms hurt and he couldn't get up on his hands.

He gritted his teeth and closed his eyes in pain, breathing through his mouth as he felt his ribs throb from the blows he received.

_ The ape would be the first to receive a bullet in the forehead, _ Stanley promised himself, for having defeated him several times and making forced him to stifle moans.

He couldn't even place Kohaku in a more comfortable position and he couldn't leave her like that, despite everything.

He couldn't even get up though.

All he had to do was make her move in her sleep. He reached out, feeling his shoulder snap, to touch her face and turn her around, but Kohaku instead of turning on her back, came closer to his body, resting her head on the blanket.

Her hair, pressed against his side, tickled him, but luckily he was ticklish.

He didn't try to make her move again, figuring she might as well get even closer.

He sighed and closed his eyes, unable to sleep. Although he was used to being motionless for long periods and Kohaku had left him in a much more comfortable position than the ropes which blocked the circulation of his wrists, waist and legs, he couldn't help but get bored.

He could hear Kohaku's breath and see her legs left uncovered by the dress.

He wondered why she had suddenly fallen asleep,  _ tired of her own words perhaps? _

There was still light, it was day, it couldn't be later. It was true that he had been tied up in that dark cabin for hours, without any reference, but he couldn't have been so wrong for days.

Kohaku's visits were the only reference they had given him to adjust with the passage of time and now the girl had fallen asleep without even telling him anything really useful.

But he had to admit that her character intrigued him too much. He hadn't ruled out at the same time that Kohaku's personality was constructed to seduce him.

He was wary, by experience, of what he had experienced before the petrification, he could not help thinking badly when he related to people.

Even the lies, because the magician had certainly lied and not only about the name of the leader, which Kohaku was telling, he could not understand what they were.

The captain's harem, for example, still looked realistic, although Kohaku was still innocent and maybe she wasn't one of his mistresses… even though she was very beautiful indeed.  _ 'But what was the point of lying about something so stupid?' _ Stanley wondered, but in the end boys like them gave different importance and priorities to life. The idea of boys this young thinking about sex was bleak, even if he didn't mind judging other people.

He didn't even want to ask Kohaku such a thing, and he had the distinct impression that she wouldn't even tell him the truth.

He had to trust only his instincts and at the moment his instincts were telling him not to believe those guys.

He moved his hand on the blanket and unwittingly touched Kohaku's forehead who just raised her arms and grabbed the sides of the blanket, turning slightly into a fetal position.

_ 'I found myself in the wrong place, at the wrong time,' _ he had told her. It summed up more moments of his life, bad choices he regretted and remorse he would never pay off.

_ 'I have a lot of scars, I've caused a lot of scars to others. I'm not really a good person, blondie,'  _ he replied as she insisted on discovering the reason for the scar that sometimes still seemed to burn. He didn't want to make her feel sorry for him or even make her change her mind about him.

Yet Kohaku hadn't let his wickedness or his past weigh. She had also spoken of forgiveness to the murderer of their beloved Senkuu.

A boy who had exercised his charisma without any pretensions and had changed the life of more than one person.

However Senkuu was a danger to the world that Xeno and he deserved and for this, he had to be eliminated.

Xeno, who could think about it, had given him the order, that according to what Stan knew about his best friend, Xeno hadn't felt his choice being the best one anyway.

Xeno's vast intelligence was what was unrivaled.

_ 'A killer and a girl as righteous as you... we can't be more different than that,' _ he'd commented in a whisper, one of the rare times he'd let himself go and expressed his thoughts freely.

This was their great difference.

The boys were more foolish, unambitious, playing heroes to return to the same gray world without Xeno in power.

Now, however, there was a group of adult people who for more than 3700 years had promised themselves to conquer the world.

And they would succeed.

He managed to look at Kohaku and see the shadow of his blood traces of hers skin and her dress, which hadn't startled her like the girls trying to get his attention.

Kohaku was stronger, he felt it.

In another life, it would have been interesting to know someone like her and now, she would probably be the fourth (first the ape, second the wizard and third the captain) to be shot.

Maybe he woul-

The door had been hit and immediately opened. Someone had just entered. Their steps were light. They had small stature or they was an experienced fighter who knew how to hid their presence.

"Koha-"

"She's asleep, go away," he said quickly to cut him off. He was the magician, he had recognized him in the second he spoke.

_ How stupid could it be to try to wake her up by voice and not shake her? In front of a prisoner too. _

If he had been in Gen's place, he would have carried her to her cabin in silence, without trying to wake her.

"But it's lu-"

_ Idiot. _

"Later. Get out," he ordered without thinking, not even wondering how he could be interpreted.

For him, Stanley, it was more than normal to let her sleep not only because she was finally silent, but also because waking her would bring him nothing or anything else.

Even an idiot like Gen understood that he had to shut up and leave. Only when the door closed, Stanley felt at ease for a reason even he couldn't explain yet.

After a few minutes, the sleeping beauty began to move. He saw her rise on the palms of her hands and kneel, slowly open her eyes and rub them still confused at having suddenly woken up, probably due to the noise caused by that useless magician.

"But I fell asleep!" She exclaimed, finally adjusting the dress that was leaving too much skin exposed.

Stanley still didn't look away.

"And you snored," he lied. He had been alone with his thoughts for too long, it was time to disturb her. "You snored so much you didn't let me sleep. How annoying, you could have gone back to your bed instead of torturing me."

"But that's not true! I don't snore!" She protested fervently, leaning slightly over him, all sulky.

Stanley snorted. "How do you know? Have you ever heard yourself sleeping or a recording of you sleeping?"

Stan smiled faintly as he also saw that such nonsense was enough to make her blush.

_ She was too pure to be in that room. _

"Well... I'll do it, and I don't snore anyway!" She defended herself, rising and crossing her arms against her chest.

"There's nothing wrong with snoring, blondie. It means you're tired... what did you do last night? Couldn't you sleep?"

"I'm... tired at this time! Yesterday I woke up late, this morning I woke up at dawn and last night... You have nothing to do with it!" She muttered. Stanley arched an eyebrow with interest.

It was always very fun to make fun of her.

"But I didn't say anything, it seems like a real confession! I'm flattering-"

Kohaku kicked him in the side that Stan couldn't avoid.

"What an idiot," she commented. It was then that they felt both of Kohaku's stomach cramps stop them. The girl ignored them and headed for the door. "I'll go get lunch, then I'll give you the massage I was supposed to give you earlier."

Stanley would have stood up, if he could.

"What an interesting word! Massage? To me? I've seen too many videos to not have high expectations!"

"I don't know what these videos are, but if you say it in this tone it can just be something disgusting," Kohaku replied, rolling her eyes. She left slamming the door, making no further statements.

Stanley had noticed that Kohaku had started to react without being the perfect girl she wanted him to believe she was the first time she had introduced herself.

She had gone from calling him  _ 'my lord' _ to  _ 'idiot' _ , not caring at all.

She had no reason to pretend to be someone else and then reveal herself for who she was.

He thought again that when he was younger than Kohaku, he was so energetic too, without bothering to say what he thought, without being stopped by others then he had grown up and could only speak through his weapons and gave orders.

Stanley relaxed and closed his eyes.

Whatever Kohaku's plan and intentions were, he already knew that soon he would have to point a gun at her and close her eyes just because she was on the wrong side.


	17. Z=175 Waiting and desires

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Xeno-chan, don't you know that waiting increases desire?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ As I said on Twitter, I upload the tags for this story and I want to say thank you for voting. In this story we have Realistic Xeno. I will make a thread to explain his psychological portrait later to explain my choices because it may look ooc according to the manga but it's not according to a realistic definition of a dictator and according to the ff itself. Also hope you don't hate me for the Kohaku role in this story and her relationship with Stanley... anyway the only wholesome relationship is sengen's one. Anyway let me know, my inbox is always open 💕
> 
> ◇ Also with this chapter (because there is the words from the extra chapter) we reach the novel word count: 40001+ words. And more will come 😭💕

Ryuusui breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, he could do it.

After spending the last few hours sticking rocks in sheets and sacks and evading the others who prowled the shore for washing clothes and gathering wood, he felt that a great weight had just disappeared from his back.

He had also gathered the various bags into a larger one, sewing them together to at least simulate a human figure from the outside.

With Francois' help, they had also put it in the coffin and closed the lid quickly, leaving it to Magma, Yo and Mozu to move it to the middle of the ship.

The rest of the crew, not all of them actually, had gathered to watch Kaseki and Chrome nail it down.

It had been possible to organize the funeral only thanks to the presence of Xeno's subordinates, in fact Ryuusui would have avoided the strongest who could have noticed his cheating since they could not leave the prisoners alone and those who were busy for other reasons such as Gen and Kohaku, they would arrive at the burial when it was finished and the coffin would already covered.

Ryuusui didn't deny himself that burying his dear friend Senkuu - even if only for pretense - had given him bad vibes. Once again, he wondered if it was better to warn everyone that Senkuu was alive since when he would show up, many might get scared and believe he was a ghost back to take revenge and furthermore, saying that Senkuu was alive, it couldn't represent a danger for him and the crew.

He had also tried to ask Senkuu what he wanted to do about it, also because Ryuusui was sure that once Gen was there, he could leave everything to him. Unlike the mentalist, Ryuusui couldn't lie and every second that passed he felt guilty for having kept quiet and hidden the truth to others. However Gen was too busy, he had a plan in mind that he couldn't share with him. Although at first Senkuu had said that he feared for their lives, he had now told him that Gen knew what he was doing and that he trusted him more than himself.

Ryuusui then found himself in a labyrinth that he had built around, unable to see which path was the right one to exit, even if someone could have found it in a heartbeat.

Without the body, however, no one had reason to open the cabin, even if, when Kohaku and Gen had entered it by mistake, his heart had skipped several beats.

Now finally no one would say he is an heartless bastard for not making them pray in the same room of the body.

But Ryuusui always had a chance to speak to Gen, who was still in time to cancel his plan.

Yet he wouldn't have been a captain worthy of this name, if he ignored his own responsibilities and promises.

It wasn't the first time that Gen saved Senkuu and above all, he had shown that even during a fit of anger and when he had the opportunity, he hadn't allowed Senkuu's killer to be killed.

If Senkuu trusted Gen, Ryuusui had no reason to fear.

Gen'd already said he wasn't going to kill them, so anything else in his plan couldn't be too serious or risky.

And here finally, even if it was only sunset, after burying the coffin for some stones, Ryuusui could lie down on the cabin floor and sleep.

Meanwhile Francois was helping Senkuu to dine. The young guy felt better.

\---

Giving a massage didn't seem that difficult. Francois hadn't told her much because they hadn't had a lot of time, but Kohaku was sure she wouldn't find any particular problems.

She had helped Stanley take off his shirt and made him lie on his stomach, and then she took the linseed oil that Francois had given her. They had told her that before petrifaction they used oils even more beautiful and suitable to relax those receiving a massage and Kohaku was curious to know more. She warmed her hands, rubbing them together.

She could have asked Senkuu to do some oil and gel, but sadly Senkuu wouldn't have come back.

She used some oil on them and placed her palms on Stanley's back who made a muffled sound, without complaining. A big step forward for them.

She straddled him and she did as Francois told her.

_**She had to do what she wanted to be done to herself too, but with even more gentleness.** _

She wondered if Stanley would ever be able to do such a thing to another woman or to her. The fingers slid down his sides, she fell forward against his oiled back.

"Sorry," she muttered quickly, settling herself against his arse without touching it, realizing how much that position was already too intimate and awkward. However Stanley didn't flinch at all.

"It seemed like the massage was about to get more interesting, so please."

"Men are a pain in the ass, especially those obsessed like you."

Stanley chuckled hard, as Tsukasa's most recent blows still hurt him.

"The captain of the ship has a harem with whatever breathes and I, a man and not a boy, who I find attractive whoever wants me, can't think about sex?" He asked without giving her a chance to answer. He raised himself on his elbows and folded his arms under his face to rest his head. "Xeno would say that I wasn't elegant in making these allusions, but I don't like wasting time and besides, some jokes are fun to make just to see you blush, my virgin princess."

Kohaku grabbed his neck and shoulder with more force than necessary, causing him to groan.

"How rude you are, princess... but I don't mind."

Kohaku had lost count of the times she had rolled her eyes that day, but listening to Stanley also made her smile, listening to his compliments, even if they were fake, was pleasant. No one had ever paid her compliments, the other guys called her a gorilla and didn't see her as a girl to be conquered or more feminine than the others.

Not that Kohaku wanted to be won, however she couldn't deny that she had noticed the difference between a man like Stanley and a boy like Magma, and she preferred the first one between them.

"It's true. I was indelicate. In fact I should thank you for the massage. You could have left me tied up and instead you are taking care of me, even if I am the killer of your beloved Senkuu."

_'Unfortunately no one missed the chance to remember it, including Stanley,_ ' Kohaku thought, making sure to caress every inch of his skin. Her dress was as greasy as his back.

She looked at him carefully even though she didn't need to because she could feel his scars already under her hands.

She wondered how he got them but she preferred to keep quiet. Stanley would never have told her.

"As a thank you, I can answer one and only one of your questions… sincerely," he said as if he could read her mind. "I can't lie but I will answer you. Or I can't deny to do something you ask me. You're the first person to whom I give so much power on me."

"Also-" Kohaku replied but quickly fell silent. It was one of the best opportunities in her life and she couldn't waste it asking if Xeno had power over him too. Or at least she had to ask him for something that might benefit them before they met Xeno. Something he would say, giving many details.

"I think about it," she corrected herself.

Stanley panted. His muscles, due to his position, had been contracted and Kohaku touched his shoulder blades and shoulders more carefully then before.

She leaned over him, lying against his back even though this time she didn't apologize and didn't get up quickly. Her dress was already stained with oil by now.

And Francois had said that she had to do what she wanted to receive in return and she wanted him to feel comfortable.

He had to trust her.

Only her.

Gen's plan seemed increasingly clear now but at the same time more difficult to implement.

"Okay, princess. I will wait anxiously for your question... but if you stay like this, you just make me think you want something else..."

Kohaku shifted and knelt on the ground, wiping her hands against the blanket.

"In your dreams maybe!" She muttered, getting up.

Stanley chuckled. 

"Or in yours, right, blondie?"

It wasn't the first time it almost seemed like he could read her mind. And it was terrified. She couldn't say anything. She left the room and closed the door behind her.

Tsukasa looked up at her but didn't comment about her greasy stains on her dress.

"I haven't tied up Stanley yet. I have to go to Gen now, I'll be back soon."

Tsukasa nodded.

"Thanks," Kohaku added and walked away.

\---

Minami stopped Kohaku just in time. She pulled her away from the communications room.

"I was coming to see… what did you do with the dress? Did you get dirty?"

Kohaku didn't want to talk though, so she ignored the question.

"What happened?"

Minami didn't want to investigate further neither.

"Dr. Xeno called again, Gen is already there but he just told me to come and find you without telling anyone."

"Yes, thank you, Minami. I'll go to him," she replied and walked into the other room.

Trying not to make another noise, Kohaku reached Gen, who as soon as he saw her gave her a confused look.

The girl crossed her arms uncomfortably against her chest without being able to completely cover the oil stains.

Meanwhile, Xeno, who didn't know what was happening, kept talking.

"... wait any longer?"

"Xeno-chan, don't you know that waiting increases desire?"

"The desire to see you primitives bleed to death from the hail of bullets that I will unload in your chest? I can't wait."

Kohaku noticed that Gen was sweating more than usual.

"No, Xeno-chan! I assure you that we are treating your faithful Stanley well... we also made him other cigarettes so not-"

"You could have avoided those! With you and the others he can't be fine. I said I want him back!"

_'Xeno's reaction was similar to the whims of the village's sparking sisters when they argued over who was the prettiest among them,'_ Kohaku thought.

She couldn't wait to face him now.


	18. Z=176 The promise signed with blood and tears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He and Stanley had always been together, ever since they were little, ever since the days were worth remembering. Without Stan, Xeno had always thought - he was more sure about it - the world would be harder to bear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miss me?  
> Finally another chapter but it was a bit difficult to write it and i am not totally satisfied... hope to get it better in the next parts of the story!

It was always the second night away from him to be the most difficult.

The first one, Xeno had spent it wondering how they had managed to capture a farsighted, strong and cunning man like Stanley. _Was there really anyone that stout on the other side? Someone who had managed to overpower even the toughest and strongest man Xeno knew?_

It was a shame he would kill him in the most painful way possible, especially if he dared to touch Stan. Or it was Stan who had been led without resistance in the enemy lair, but even if he had so many qualities, Stan didn't think about the consequences of his actions too much, he didn't evaluate what could have turned against him, unlike Xeno himself.

However Xeno hoped it was the second option, because even thinking that someone had beaten Stan hurt him more than his absence itself.

Xeno, exhausted, fell on the bed.

He had barely taken off his jacket and shoes before doing so, annoyed that another day had passed without Stanley, that he was without Stanley.

His neck pressed against the blankets, his chin was pressed against his throat, his tie and collars tightened his neck even more, and if he didn't change his position soon, he would have a stiff neck. He knew, anyone would have noticed, but he didn't move any further. He didn't even raise his hand to take off his gloves and nail rings for which Stanley never missed an opportunity to tease him with a smile on his face.

His soft lips, often parted to squeeze the filter of the cigarette, at other times against his mouth.

Xeno shivered as the metal tip of his rings stroked his lower lip with less delicacy than Stan dedicated to him.

He would never feel them again, he would never see his faithful Stan again... the silent room was disturbed by his increasingly heavy breathing that his fears made sharper than a sword in his chest.

The magician had said that they were treating him with care, but he couldn't know what the care was for those rednecks who had invaded their country without the slightest shame. Those inferior beings who enjoyed playing with science, being explorers and wanting to bring humanity back without taking advantage of the restart point they had obtained for more than 3700 years.

In a sudden snap, Xeno forcibly pulled off his gloves, dropping them on the bed, not caring where they ended up. One of them, due to the steel rings, rolled to the ground, but the sound of the impact took a back seat to that of Xeno's heartbeat.

The scientist rolled onto his left side, trying to ignore the turmoil echoing against the rib bones and in his ear.

Something was filling his throat, as if his heart had detached itself from the veins and arteries that held it still and was able to move at will.

Xeno opened his mouth and breathed. The air tickled his hand and wrist that he had pressed against his face, but it wasn't enough to convince him that his lungs were working.

**He** and Stanley had always been together, ever since they were little, ever since the days were worth remembering. Without Stan, Xeno had always thought - he was more sure about it - the world would be harder to bear.

The same world that Xeno wanted to change and dominate, cleaning it of those who weren't like him, of those who didn't recognize how much his mere presence made anyone inadequate.

Science was elegant, science was power, and only expert hands like his could handle it with care. Taming the unworthy and punishing those who questioned his authority were the key points of his project.

Not that the world deserved someone like him. They weren't ready for him, but he was ready to change their lives.

Science had chosen him, no one would ever be able to defend it as he would.

Power was the most strong weapon ever and his shoulders were created to carry it.

He just needed someone who understood and felt it, what was best for everyone. Stanley had fulfilled his role perfectly. Also he loved the world that Xeno had described ever since he could understand that society needed to change.

Stan had told him that he would always be on his side, that he would give all of himself to live by his side in a world shaped by them.

They were the brains and the brawn, Stanley was the force in the service of Xeno's knowledge. Together they would have the most powerful weapons and the experience of using and building them.

Xeno rolled over on his back, closing his eyes so as not to look at the ceiling. His hands were harpooning the fabric of his shirt. A slight pain in his left arm made him grimace.

His heart was healthy, at least clinically speaking.

And figuratively, he wasn't so sure he still had it.

Stanley had loved the sky and guns since he was a child and when he discovered that with a military career he could combine both, he had wasted no time and from an early age he was the perfect military candidate.

He had made a career out of it quickly, but Xeno had never had any doubts about this. Also he at NASA, managed to stand out for his skills and intellect, but he felt that it was not enough.

It was never enough.

It was thanks to their work, when the night when the whole of humanity was petrified, it was easier for Xeno to be with him, to be next to him for more than 3700 years even as statues.

If they weren't together, he would have spent all of his time looking for him when he woke up.

Xeno closed his eyes, thinking back to the pose in which he had found Stanley that had protected him even from the unknown and the nature.

But he had always done it, a mysterious ray was not enough to stop him.

**He** and Stanley were two indivisible elements.

Xeno couldn't remember a day without talking to his best friend. Stanley not only loved him, but he adored him as he deserved. He was the only person he felt comfortable with in the room now, the only person who could watch over him.

He was at his side to help him reach his goal, the perfect world that slowly became his too.

Stanley was the only one who needed no explanation for his behavior. He had never judged Xeno, never let doubts stop him from dreaming big.

He realized that he had started crying silently only when the first tear reached his left ear, slipping into it.

He thought when was the last time he had cried.

His fingers tightened harder against the fabric.

It had been _that_ day.

His lips bent in a grimace that someone could have defined it as a smile.

Stanley would always be by his side, ready to eliminate anyone who dared to stand between them.

He had done it in the past, he would have done it again.

It was their promise, after all. 

**_The promise signed with blood and tears._ **

Stanley's hands dirty, Xeno's eyes wet. 

Xeno couldn't imagine a world without Stanley, he couldn't imagine that someone could take his place. 

Stanley knew how nobody would be like Xeno, no one could have been in his place. 

The scientist got up and approached the window. He sat on the windowsill, holding himself to the metal bar he had mounted so as not to fall. The cold air of the night blew on his face, like a sweet caress.

Everyone immediately loved Stanley for his beautiful face, long eyelashes, his elegant appearance and bearing, his safety in facing those who hinder him... but they didn't know him at all. 

Those primitives were lucky to see him closely, to enjoy his company even if Xeno was almost laughing at the thought that one of them could be someone who was capable of appearing interesting to Stan. 

The only closest to their level was - although he was younger than them - Senkuu, but he was dead. 

It was an obstacle and obstacles must be removed at any price, even though he had been part of his past, even though he had realized that people could be improved with the right guide. 

Xeno looked out of the window, the long expanse of trees that under the light of the moon, seemed a single vast dark spot, which limited his view. He was in his room, in the highest floor, and from there he also managed to see the river. At some point there was the ship of which Stanley had spoken. 

He didn't know what their plan was but he felt they wanted him to go there, as if Xeno didn't already prize a similar scenario. As soon as Stanley would be free, he would put the whole crew that he felt like he would have led him to listen to them if he had discovered that Stanley had been abused. 

Stanley, _his Stanley_ , was much more than a nice face. He would never trust him except him, except if he didn't tell him to do it so. And Xeno had to admit that he also trusted Stanley to do so to make him choose who was worthy of his company. 

And those savages weren't. 

They had a great opportunity, they could choose to work for him and instead they had chosen to die.

The magician knew very well how to hit him. 

_Fuming_ , Xeno couldn't do anything but observe his sleeping kingdom, ignoring stomach cramps for hunger. 

He couldn't stop looking into the trees, even if nothing could be distinguished. 

If Stan had managed to return to the castle alone, he would have to welcome him. 

Xeno was all about what Stanley needed now and forever, and Stanley was what he needed the most too.


	19. A taste of vanilla and love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "What is its taste?" Then she asked curiously.  
> Francois smiled.  
> "Ice cream tastes like vanilla and love. Children eat it mostly in summer, when they come back from school or when they are on vacation... and adults eat it thinking back to when they were happy, Kohaku-sama," they replied kindly.

A new day had come.

As soon as Kohaku exited the cabin, she headed into the kitchen to get breakfast for her and Stanley.

After Xeno's phone call, she and the Mentalist had briefly discussed what they should do next, making full use of all the time available to them for the sake of the grand plan.

Kohaku didn't ask why Gen hadn't set a day for negotiations yet, considering that it had only been three days and Xeno was already too angry. She thought it was probably part of his little personal revenge: Make him despair over missing his beloved Stanley even before he strikes.

The Mentalist (without saying that he had seen her sleeping next to Stan the afternoon before) had complimented her for her good job and had given her new instructions: later, when they would have some time alone, he would give her more lessons on the subject.

She didn't like Gen's superficiality and even though she had learned to understand him over time, his desperate attempt to keep everything secret until the end remained difficult.

He had told her she needed to get more lessons when he could specify what they were.

He also said that Yuzuriha was working on a dress for her and this scared her. The memory of her presence in the harem on Treasure Island was one of the worst.

She hated having clothes that were too loose or that did bother her while she fought. Though when she met Xeno, she didn't have to go armed, much to her chagrin.

  
  


When she entered the kitchen, there were Kinrou and Ginrou who were in charge of bringing breakfast to the guards at the prisoners' cabins and the prisoners themselves, except Stanley, as Gen had ordered them.

Kohaku was relieved to note that no one had asked her why and, except for someone, they probably hadn't even noticed it.

She greeted both of them with a wave of her hand, also realizing that Mozu and Magma were still sleepy.

The boys greeted her, but they were too busy to say more.

Francois, dressed as a cook, had prepared breakfast for everyone, also taking into account everyone's tastes. They was serving up a few portions that were just waiting to be eaten while he set all the dirty containers in a corner.

  
  


Taking care of the pans, taking them off the table and washing them, were men whom Kohaku recognized as Tsukasa's underlings, in the old realm of might. They were happy to help them in the kitchen and when they realized someone else - Kohaku - was coming, they greeted her with an affectionate nod, closing the water valve momentarily to be able to hear her speak.

Francois thanked them, but took Kohaku by the arm and they walked away from the men.

The girl understood that Gen had said something to them, provided instructions for her.

They move with her to the other side of the kitchen.

"Kohaku-sama," they murmured as they opened the freezer that Senkuu had insisted so much on taking to the ship to retrieve something inside. "Today you will have a different breakfast than the others," they anticipated.

"Gen…" she started to say, but Francois cut her off.

"Sure, Gen-sama had a nice suggestion, even if he didn't know what Senkuu had done. While it's not very healthy to start the day with such a meal, I couldn't say anything about it... yesterday you had a late lunch, today you will earlier," they explained confidently and Kohaku at that moment realized how much Francois loved taking care of others so much that they made it became their job.

No wonder it was Ryuusui's loyal servant; he only wanted the best for himself.

However, when the unstoppable Francois placed on the tray two glass bowls containing a soft form folded on itself, Kohaku looked at them questioningly.

"It's called ice cream, it's a fresh and sweet dessert. Senkuu-sama made it for Luna-sama, now our prisoner. You won't know it, but I'm pretty sure someone will find it more than pleasant..." they said. "It's not uncommon to want to eat it when it's so hot."

"What is its taste?" Then she asked curiously.

Francois smiled.

"Ice cream tastes like vanilla and love. Children eat it mostly in summer, when they come back from school or when they are on vacation... and adults eat it thinking back to when they were happy, Kohaku-sama," they replied kindly. "In the world before the petrification, there were so many flavors, but at the moment we have a limited choice... I hope that one day children and adults will be able to enjoy ice cream in other ways."

Kohaku nodded.

"Senkuu wanted to save everyone and we will. Then... I'm curious to know how many flavors of ice cream there were."

At the mention of Senkuu, the butler looked down guilty, luckily Kohaku didn't notice it. To keep their hands busy, they picked up a still-soiled bowl of pancake dough so they could clean it up.

"Maybe there will also be new tastes, in fact I'm sure we could invent new ones as soon as we get home..." they added, unable to look at her. However, his lie was necessary for Senkuu to regain his strength.

Kohaku - unaware of their internal torment - took the tray and cleared her throat.

"Are you all right, Francois?"

Francois just nodded.

"Now go, Kohaku-sama, or the ice cream will melt," they cut short, taking advantage of a valid reason.

The girl turned and walked to the exit, but was unable to leave.

"Thanks for the massage advice. It was easier than expected," she muttered.

Although the entire ship had awakened and confusion reigned around them, Francois heard her.

"At the end, we only look for ourselves in others," they replied. They knew well that Kohaku had listened to their advice to do what one wanted to suffer in turn.

"And maybe we can find ourselves too," Kohaku replied, but she did so instinctively and decided to leave without even listening to Francois.

The butler arranged the breakfast they had prepared for Senkuu on a covered tray and checked the bread for the lunch.

\---

The corridor was more full than usual, which was what Kohaku found as she made room to get to Stanley's cabin. Hyoga was sitting on the ground, next to his spear and didn't even worry about the others who walked and almost risked trampling him.

"What's happening?" She asked, watching him over the tray.

Hyoga barely opened one of his eyes, but she wasn't sure he really looked at her.

"The two prisoners are fighting because they want to see the girl... Luna, I think her name is... they said they will die, if they don't see her face again."

Kohaku rolled her eyes, believing it was a real emergency.

"Tsukasa?" She asked again, but in a lower voice in case Stanley could hear her.

"He should have called his sister," he said, without adding anything else.

Kohaku looked at him curled up in his cloak and then looked down at the contents of the tray.

"Didn't you have breakfast?"

Hyoga shrugged.

"I don't like eating at the mon-"

"Here!" She exclaimed, handing him one of the glass glasses. "Eat it."

"But is it ice cream?" He noted, taking it in his hands. "How... Senkuu," he muttered without needing to ask questions.

"Francois said…" Kohaku started but stopped, noting that underneath his mask, Hyoga was just blushing. "Forget it. I'm going to Stan."

Hyoga's eyes were on the small cup.

"Call, if you need," he said, but Kohaku was already in the cabin.

\---

_ "Ryuusui ask Gen when he wants to face Xeno or whatever he has in mind, I feel better, I'm serious!" _

To say that Senkuu was better was too affected, but even Ryuusui had noticed that his life wasn't now in danger like a few hours before. He still had a fever but he could speak, for a short time, without breaking words and he could eat something more than tea or soup. However Senkuu still had bullet wounds on his chest and full stomach. He had lost blood and other fluids, as well as fidgeting in his sleep from the shock of being shot.

Francois thought it was mostly because Senkuu doesn't totally externalize his emotions, so the trauma he suffered had added to all his negative experiences to overwhelm him, when he wasn't in full control of his mind.

  
  


However Ryuusui noticed how Senkuu managed to calm down as soon as he named Gen. He told him that Gen was giving orders to everyone and the ship was rebalancing thanks to him.

_ Which is not entirely false. _

After the mock funeral and attached burial, everyone, even if with a broken heart, had returned to work.

"Is Gen okay?" Senkuu had asked him suddenly that morning while Ryuusui was changing his bandages. The captain would have liked to make him admit his clear feelings - his instincts had picked it up - but he let Senkuu take all the time he needed to say it himself.

"He's… the usual Gen… he just doesn't smile like he did when you were with him," he finally replied, watching the dried blood crumble against his fingers. "What if I told him? That you are alive?"

Senkuu sighed, but his breathing became heavier until it became a cough.

"He always worries about me," he muttered back. "Even just when I got wet with hairspray, remember? He told me I had to think about my health, then he wanted to hide it from me... Gen..."

Ryuusui continued his mission until he was able to remove all the blood-soaked cloth.

"If I told him..." Senkuu continued, as soon as Ryuusui had removed the last piece of gauze from the skin. "He would have one more secret to protect... more responsibilities... more lies and... I just hope he will forgive me when I get back to him..." he confessed. His voice was uncertain and Ryuusui was sure it wasn't because of his condition. He seriously thought that Gen, who loved him so much, couldn't forgive him.

"Gen…" she stopped before she brought his thoughts to life. "He would never hate you and he would certainly understand for himself that it was necessary."

Senkuu remained silent as Ryuusui placed the new dressing around his chest. She didn't even speak when Ryuusui wiped his hands in the water Francois had brought before going to the kitchen.

Only when Francois returned Ryuusui decide to go out and leave them for breakfast. Senkuu would then fall asleep again and wake up - at least they hoped - for lunch and not because of some nightmare that reduced him to tears.

Francois as they sat down next to him, said that Gen found it brilliant that Senkuu had synthesized vanilla for ice cream and made it in the new world.

Senkuu shrugged, or so it seemed as his pains weren't entirely gone and he moved with difficulty, and murmured that it was Francois. His plan to get Luna to talk was to seduce her as sweetly as someone more experienced than him would.

Ryuusui exited the cabin before he could hear Francois retort.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ◇ It's technically a first part; tomorrow (=today because once again it's morning here) part 2!  
> ♧ I don't know if this kind of ice cream will melt but let's pretend it do it. Also I see from chapter 155 that there aren't sails anymore on the ship but in one of chapter of this story they have black ones. Let's pretend is canon anyway or I'll cry.


	20. Z=178 The sweet and bitter sharing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He wasn't touching her. It seemed to strike her without actually touching her, but feeling her shoulders touching the wall was enough for Kohaku to remember that dream she was still thinking about.
> 
> It had been a nightmare, not a dream, but she couldn't deny that she found it inspiring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ I realized that it isn't canon that Stanley and Kohaku still have scars after de-petrification because the stone removes everything except birth problems like Kinrou's myopia. But for sure I'll find a solution for this subplot hole in a way or another. How much I hate missing the details and only remembering them afterwards hahaha.
> 
> ◇ This chapter is a bit dark but after all this story is gonna be dark… except for sengen. They will be happy together forever.
> 
> ♧ I take off a few days for irl stuff and I cut this chapter because I took a bit to write, so see y'll with the 21st (=20th) chapter (aka 2nd part to this one) in a few days! 💚💜  
> But one of the scene I want to write the most is closer!
> 
> Thank you for reading and enjoying it!🌷

The window was open as he had left it.

The clothes were thrown to the ground as he remembered he did.

He also remembered taking off his gloves even though it took him a while to find them.

He changed his clothes after washing up, combing his hair and putting on his shoes.

He was ready to face another day without Stanley.

_ He needed time.  _

_ Stanley would go back to him because there was no other way. _

Xeno loved when thoughts became real.

_ Yet Stanley would never have been captured, if he hadn't wanted to. He would never have made him wait so long to return back. _

Xeno hated when thoughts became voices and voices became facts.

The scientist's mouth twitched, leaving all his teeth exposed. He began to laugh. First slowly through his lips, then until his throat and belly hurt.

His laugh was the only weapon he had to free himself from the stress, from the voices he had with him, from the pressure overwhelm him until now.

If the magician had been too slow to tell him when that absurd antics were to end, he would have regretted it.

There was more than one bullet with his name engraved on it, there would be several stones ready to decorate the clod of earth under which he would find eternal rest.

Though there would be no people digging for him.

After all, Xeno needed strong arms for his empire and if they didn't cooperate, it was enough to let them reveal the awakening formula. Everyone, even the strongest, would have chirped more than the swallows in spring at the point of death.

It would be the first new-world fight.

One of the first chapters to be devoted to foreign wars.

America and Japan enemies once again. The history had the form of a perfect circle.

The new generations would have learned that for every betrayal there was a punishment, the blood was cleansed only with blood.

He brought his right hand to his mouth.

The rings on his fingertips caressed his cheek. The lips were raised to one side in a derisive smile to the sun now high in the sky.

_ Was there anything more elegant than knowing he had won? That the world would be a better place thanks to him? _

Everyone would know his face and the scars that took up his forehead. It was the price he paid for earning years to think about his perfect world while his body didn't age even a minute.

He didn't need to think any more. He had the weapons, he had Stanley, he had a reason to face them and win.

He wasn't like them: he needed some elegant way to punish them and to show the rest of the world what happened to provoke his anger.

Bodies bleeding and piled up to the point of not being able to distinguish them was a vision that didn't stimulate anything, indeed someone might have found it even ridiculous.

Perhaps he should have taken care of every prisoner, taking advantage of the opportunity to see how far his claws could penetrate human flesh.

However, he would get dirty and bored listening to someone's pleading words.

But he had to admit that it was an interesting option, a useful punishment for anyone who dared to hinder him.

_ What a magnificent sight! _

With a camera he would have recorded on film the glorious day when the group of Japanese would be exterminated.

He just hoped that there wasn't much blood, that they didn't dirty the river water or around the castle.

It was true that a storm would have been enough to clean up the tracks, but the crew was numerous and killing them all in the same way would have tired him, and even more to see for days the blood clotting around him took away all his enthusiasm.

He had heard that there were other people on the other continent. The magician had lied about some things and certainly would have found a way to evade his machine, if he tried to question him like that again.

He had to make sure it was true, but at the same time he had to punish them without waiting for them to save people thousands of miles away from them.

He would certainly have solved that other little problem in no time.

The brilliant Brody, who occupied the basement of the castle, would have worked hard to make a gift to send even to the friends of his enemies.

The history was a perfect circle that rotated until it touched the same point several times, a still hot page just photocopied in the winning book.

_ 'Stanley would never have changed sides,' _ he thought, responding to the words of the wizard who at least once a day felt in his head.  _ 'Stanley would never have bet against him.' _

\---

"Six, seven..."

Kohaku's hands tightened around the tray as she couldn't take her eyes off the twitching muscles in Stanley's arms. The man was just tied with the rope around his waist, but that wasn't what caught her attention.

Stanley was busy lifting himself up by the strength of his arms clinging to a beam in the ceiling. Shirtless, completely sweating while each number pronounced panting was associated with a push up.

He had folded one leg behind the other and the pants he was wearing - the same one he had been wearing since he was captured - was lifted to the knee. Kohaku put the tray down on the table and stood there looking at him, not sure if she could interrupt him.

The ache in her lower abdomen came back to take possession of her as it had the first time she had seen him, perhaps even stronger considering she knew why it was happening.

Minami's words came back to her mind too. Just craving for someone was enough to want them, but she didn't want Stanley after all.

He was Senkuu's killer, even though he'd been kind to her the day before - probably because he'd been hurt - and he certainly would have kept hitting on her, even if he only did it to distract her or distract himself.

Meanwhile, Stan was in front of her, half naked. His skin glistened with sweat, his panting was hypnotic, every movement seemed designed to show himself before her eyes.

Kohaku loved to train and always tried to involve others who agreed only in view of clashes. Yet on those occasions she had seen other men and women in the same condition as Stan and none had had that effect on her.

America was apparently a very hot and strange country.

_ Did she have to make a noise so he would notice her? Should she speak or would it scare him? Hadn't he heard the door open? _

_ No. _

Each question disappeared as she had formulated it as soon as she realized she was talking about Stanley.

He was probably doing it on purpose.

It was impossible that he had not sensed her presence. Gen had well explained that Stan probably didn't have Ukyo's particular hearing, but he was still trained to pick up what was changing around him like a hound.

_ 'What an asshole!' _ She thought before pouring a glass of water and pushing the ice cream aside. Before arriving at the cabin, she had also taken the cigarettes that Chrome and Suika had wrapped according to Gen's directions, so as to give him something to smoke. However, annoyed by his rudeness, she preferred to wait for him to speak to her.

Kohaku brought the glass to her lips, letting the water slide against her tongue. She thought back to when she made him drink and as always on purpose Stan was licking his lips too much. Suddenly that water seemed to have become incandescent lava until it ran down the gorge.

"Will you pour me one too?"

Stan's voice so close made her jump so much that she poured a little water on herself and almost dropped her glass.

Stanley noticed it and, although held back by the rope, managed to draw Kohaku to him and put his hand under that one of the girl, bringing the innocent glass to safety.

Kohaku's blue eyes couldn't stop staring at Stanley's lips, not only because they were at that height and incredibly close, but mostly because a tiny scar was left from yesterday's cut.

"You shouldn't train, you're hurt!" Kohaku finally mumbled, almost in his arms. "You could seriously hurt yourself!"

Stan had to back up a couple of steps due to the rope pulling on his pants and which - as Kohaku could now see - also it served as a belt.

"But then you worry about me, blondie," he said, giving her a smile that Kohaku had a hard time classifying.

It hadn't reached his eyes, which, as Gen had explained to her, happened with sincere smiles but he didn't even seem to make fun of her.

She saw him wiping a rag over his face to absorb the sweat from his forehead and lip, and she pulled herself together again not to stare at how his abs were sculpted on his chest, how his pectorals lifted with each breath.

Only later she realized that this was the shirt they had given him. Kohaku looked around and saw that the tight shirt she had torn from him was folded to the ground on the other side of the room.

"When I woke up, I found it there," Stanley replied, following the girl's gaze. "It also had a zipper, you could have avoided breaking it... at least you fixed it for me."

Yuzuriha had done it. 

For her, Stanley could also be naked as far as she was concerned.

Her eyes widened at that annoying thought.

"You should be more careful, however," Kohaku repeated, turning away from him. From there she ran no risk of looking him in the face. She poured herself another glass which she swallowed quickly, almost choking. Stanley noticed that and put a hand on her back.

_ At his touch, it almost looked like she was about to run out of air. _

"Drinking this fast might be even more dangerous than working out after spending days tied up," he explained.

The girl breathed slowly and for a few minutes waited for that strange sensation that took her breath away when water passed through the trachea.

"I'm fine."

As soon as she said those words, Stanley stopped touching her and waited for the glass to be passed to him. Kohaku tried to forget the weight of his hand against her shoulder blades, but it almost felt like it was still there.

She turned and handed him the full glass.

"How many set of exercises have you done? Do you need a massage?"

Stanley took a sip and looked down at her.

"Just a set of 15. I don't want to force myself, I'll do something very light. First, I did two sets of abs. Then I think I'll do at least 5 minutes of planks and two sets of squats."

Kohaku couldn't associate every name with an exercise, but knowing that he would get tired instead of resting and letting the bruises heal and above all that Xeno was trying to know when he would see him again, it didn't reassure her at all.

"On the other days you weren't training ..."

"I was tied up, after all," he replied. "Although it must be said that the ape is getting more and more stupid. First he beat me because my wrists were untied, but now he has put a rope around my waist that I can untie or break."

Kohaku couldn't say anything. He was right. "So I decided it was time to train also because I'm used to doing it almost every day. And not so little."

Kohaku listened to him without interrupting him.

"Of course, you train too, if you want we can do it together."

However, his proposal fell on deaf ears. So he tried again.

"As for the massage, blondie..." Stanley whispered, leaning over her, "it would be appreciated even if I were in perfect condition... out of your hands then..."

Kohaku was in no condition to touch him or she would soon feel drool descending from her lower lip.

"But take off your dress so you don't get dirty-"

"Okay, I'm leaving now."

The girl commented in exasperation quickly and tried to get out, but Stanley had excellent reflexes and blocked her with his body against the door.

He wasn't touching her. It seemed to strike her without actually touching her, but feeling her shoulders touching the wall was enough for Kohaku to remember that dream she was still thinking about.

It had been a nightmare, not a dream, but she couldn't deny that she found it  _ inspiring _ .

"Don't forbid me from your company so soon, my princess. In fact, if we train together, I could give you the massage afterwards as thanks for your lovely attention." 

Kohaku opened her mouth to object, but Stanley's unnaturally beautiful eyes silenced her. She found herself biting her lower lip, wondering how his hands would move along her back.  _ Would they be kind and careful or rough and aggressive? _

She would never find out.

She escaped from their position and took the package the guys had prepared.

"Here. They're the cigarettes I asked them to make… we've never seen cigarettes before so if they're badly done, smoke them anyway because yours are gone."

Stanley settled on the floor, finally letting the rope go limp beside him.

"I almost miss the moments when you called me my lord, my virgin princess."

"There's no reason to be so rude every time I talk to you! How long will you call me that?"

Stanley cautiously opened the packet and studied cigarettes or alleged cigarettes. They had been rolled by hand and some had opened. He took the first one carefully and placed the thing that acted as a filter - very minimal - at the first end.

"How long will you be a virgin?" He replied sarcastically, looking up to watch her as his tongue ran the length of the paper, moistening it with his saliva.

Kohaku didn't think he did it on purpose this time. Also he, as soon as he realized she was blushing and wincing, lowered his eyes. 

That simple movement had raised the temperature around her again.

"I guess I have to give you another question to make me forgive... yet you are so beautiful when you blush for nothing."

"I'm not here to make you laugh!" Kohaku protested. It wasn't funny that he told her she was beautiful so often. No one had ever told her and he had the strange gift of making everything so strange and intense.

Stan pressed both ends of the cigarette with his fingers before answering her.

Then he looked at her, forgetting even what he was doing.

"Do you see me laughing when I say that you are beautiful? Do you see me laughing when I say that I like to provoke you to see you blush? Do you see me laughing when I look at you? We are not friends, Kohaku," his voice had become serious and Kohaku noticed that he had first used her name, although she believed he hadn't even heard her speak when she introduced herself. "We certainly can't trust each other as far as battle plans are concerned. We are on two enemy factions and so it will be until the truce, although I have my doubts about that. But that doesn't mean I can't say what I think about you. You are beautiful, young, smart, interesting, purposeful and I say nothing more so as I don't want to take a punch," he added, knowing that whatever he said whether positive or negative Kohaku couldn't stand it. 

"When I walk out that door, we should probably be aiming some weapon at ourselves. I don't want to think about what's waiting for us outside."

"You've said too many things that don't convince me and it almost seems like you want to drive me crazy!"

"You drive me crazy too. But in a different way," he whispered to himself as he adjusted another cigarette, but didn't look at it as before.

Stanley, though so sure of himself, seemed almost to regret having said it.

Kohaku had only gone to bring him breakfast, she didn't want to be involved in reflections she had never considered.  _ What would she tell Gen? She hadn't really told him that in a short time she and Stanley had become more informal, perhaps she had ruined his plan? Doing Mentalist things was so boring. _

Kohaku cast an irritated look at Stanley. He could also just eat ice cream all happy as Hyoga certainly did in the hal-

_ The ice cream! _

She turned and walked over to the table, realizing that the soft mass in the cup had melted by now.

"No! Francois said it was melting!"

Stanley looked at her for a moment without her noticing, but said nothing.

Kohaku grabbed the cup and tried to leave, but that was when Stanley stopped her.

"Wait, if I let you go, you won't come back," he said without hiding his thoughts. "What's there?"

The girl didn't know how to answer. 

_ What did he mean by that sentence? _

"Ice cream."

Stan raised his chin interested and she handed him the cup. The ice cream - now liquid - soiled the spoon and Kohaku regretted not having taken a handkerchief to clean it up.

"Ice cream..." he sighed softly and Kohaku found herself smiling at his reaction.

Back then it was true that ice cream was linked to some positive memories.

"We can't eat it," he said and Kohaku held out her hand.

"Yes, I'm going to get you another one."

Stanley didn't move.

"No, I didn't mean that," he denied. "Ice cream isn't really a post-workout or breakfast food."

"I'm going to get you something-"

"Come here."

Stanley's voice hoarse from years and years of smoke sounded too gentle not to listen. The closer she got to him, the more she knew she could sabotage Gen's plan on her own. Minami had said she must be happy to feel desire, but it seemed as the only idea of wanting Stanley could hurt her.

She sat down next to him.

"Have you eaten it before? You weren't on the ship when Senkuu did it," he asked, also remembering what he had seen.

"Yes, before I come here," she replied. She couldn't take the ration from him. He also needed more food to heal first. 

She would eat for lunch directly.

"You don't usually miss a chance to look me in the eye when we talk," he considered before picking up the spoon and filling it with the liquid.

Kohaku smiled nervously, realizing that anyone would actually accept her answer without noticing anything else.

"There's only one day when I ate ice cream in the morning. For breakfast."

Kohaku moved on his bent legs to settle down and look at him. She could feel all the melancholy he was feeling.

"July 4th. You may not have heard it but it is a day of celebration for everyone here, especially for us soldiers. I am proud of my country and I would give my life to protect it before and now. It seems ridiculous but only that day I eat an ice cream. "

"I don't think it's ridiculous," Kohaku cut him off. "I've never eaten it, after all!" She chuckled.

"You're a bad liar, you just proved what you said was wrong, unbelievable."

Kohaku continued to laugh until Stanley next to her smiled as well.

"I already know you want me to taste it to make sure it's not poisoned or whatever you think it is."

"You know me by now."

His sentence served to bring her back to that room.

They weren't friends, they had a longing for each other, but as soon as Xeno came to retrieve Stan according to Gen's plan, they would have to fight and kill the other.

The next thought startled her.

_ If Xeno wasn't there, what would their fate have been? No one would accept their particular bond. He was Senkuu's killer, after all. _

And she didn't even have to consider such a scenario.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice Stanley holding out the spoonful of melted ice cream for her.

Kohaku lowered her head and let him feed her. The taste of vanilla and sugar danced on her tongue even though there was nothing fresh taste left.

"It's too sweet," she commented. "Like the cotton candy!"

"Cotton candy?"

The girl looked up and stared at Stanley's for a moment.

"Yes, a while ago Senkuu did it, among the jobs we had in the village."

She didn't know if she should mention anything about the village, but it was too late now.

At least Stanley said nothing more.

He just brought the spoon to his mouth and licked it.

**_If she saw his tongue licking something once again..._ **

"Yes, actually it's sweet for my taste, but it's still ice cream."

"Okay, I'll go-"

Kohaku couldn't say more because Stan handed her another teaspoon.

At her questioning look, he stared at her and smiled at her.

"You said you didn't eat it, I can't allow it."

"We'll pretend it's our 4th of July," Kohaku replied, realizing again that she had talked too much. However Stanley didn't react badly.

"If it was July 4th, there would have been a lot more, right up to the fireworks. It would have been magical for you to watch them. Plus you would have seen me in uniform… not to brag, but I'm very handsome in uniform."

"Why? What does it change? It's always you but with different clothes on."

Stanley laughed gleefully for the first time without appearing to be making fun of her or holding back.

"Women love men in uniform."

Kohaku dismissed the thought that there were other women around Stanley, even if it was obvious. Stanley was handsome. Incredibly beautiful.

However, she couldn't help but speak. "I'm not like other women."

"I know."

His answer made her catch her breath in her throat. Also He would now call her a gorilla or something like that.

"You are much better than the women I have known.What I have said before I mean it. You are really full of surprises. You are beautiful both inside and out. Usually people are only interested in me for my job, what I own or my beauty but I have the feeling that you don't care so much about these things."

"No, in fact."

They said no more. Stanley drank another scoop of ice cream and filled one for Kohaku who leaned over to lick it.

"I hope I don't have to shoot you."

Kohaku looked up as she emptied the spoon.

"I hope I don't have to stick a dagger in your chest," she said.

And they both were absolutely certain that they were telling the truth.


	21. Z=179 4th July

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Today is our 4th of July and nothing bad can happen," he told her softly in a little whisper in her hair. "After a relaxing day together, with no problem, with no one to remember who we are, we are watching the fireworks. [...] every color stops being alone on the 4th of July."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here the 20th chapter, the first after this story is getting more old than 1 month and two days. The most emotional until now tbh, hope you will enjoy it! Even if this chapter was supposed to be hotter and not so dramatic 👀

That was the first time he considered adding a footstool to his chair. He was aware that detaching was not an elegant position to hold, but luckily he was alone.

Xeno was half reclining, his back was curved and his arms dangled without force beyond the armrests. His legs were spread apart and his feet were resting on the ground in a position that would soon begin to ache.

All of this reflected the boredom that had taken hold of him after he had started spying on enemy communications.

He hoped to get messages between groups close to the castle and the ship - he strongly doubted he wasn't under surveillance - and instead he had been drawn into a close exchange between two girls who even told each other how many stones they had seen walking around that day.

The first voice was extremely kind.

Xeno found himself closing his eyes as he heard her utter more than one sentence.

She must have been young, in her early twenties, but at the same time she was used to talking to many people. She didn't raise her voice, she gave the right time to assimilate what she was saying to those who listened to her and above all, she tried to make herself understood, articulating clearly. Probably before the petrification she had had a job in contact with people as a saleswoman or a doctor. She was kind but firm at the same time.

The girl was talking about how a storm had hit the village, but that fortunately there had been no damage to either people or property.

Xeno crossed his fingers.

He looked at the ends of his claws.

His concentration was all there.

The village was probably the form of organization they had chosen.

Incredibly primitive, actually.

Senkuu had organized the people he had awakened in a village, certainly because of his lack of interest in forms of government and in what wasn't science.

However, he recognized that making everyone feel like a big family was a great way to include them in a project.

Tribes and villages had been the earliest forms of social organization in the stone age. People had to survive and bonds were essential.

There was a need for something simple that would guarantee protection to young people, the elderly, children… hunters and gatherers who accumulated resources for the winter, planning something new each time not for the sake of knowledge, but out of necessity.

Without the fire, the meat would have remained raw forever, effectively losing a high-protein food or, in the worst case scenario, succumbing to viruses not eradicated by cooking.

When the mysterious and soothing voice told how the little sister of a certain Tsukasa had learned to write the entire alphabet, Xeno wondered if there were other children and what was the purpose of awakening them.

Senkuu wanted to awaken the whole of humanity and to do so he needed strong people capable of understanding what he said, _what did he gain by awakening children?_

There were a limited number of people that an inexperienced person like him could handle without subversion - about 150 - and each awakened person could also be a significant threat or lifeline, but targeting children was a stupid move. Unless that little girl woke up on her own, but it was such an absurd option that Xeno would laugh, if he could.

If she had been awakened for her brother's sake, he probably represented someone important in the village, someone who had been persuaded to partner with Senkuu in exchange for something like he did with Ryuusui.

He listened, but the gentle voice said no more on the subject.

Her interlocutor took the floor, the voice that Xeno had found irritating from the first listening.

Other than Stanley, Xeno didn't trust anyone, and he would never trust that girl with the ringing voice anyway.

Her every sentence seemed to be formed to get answers. She reminded Xeno of those annoying reporters who were stationed in front of the NASA gates to be kicked out a few minutes later by the guards for security reasons.

He would have preferred to hear the first voice again although he knew the second better. It was the same woman who repeated that they were open to confrontation.

Interminable minutes of useless chatter followed, during which Xeno questioned his decision to intercept other people's communications. 

He didn't have an hourglass in front of him, but he was sure he would have to turn it at least twice to allow the sand to fall again during that chat.

"Don't worry, Ruri-chan! I know you miss your father and sister!"

Xeno heard the second voice say and this information, although basic, served to awaken his attention.

It was also true that he was bored listening to the woman speak, so everything new could be more interesting, but the calm-voiced girl was named Ruri and apparently both her sister and her father were there in America.

A family - not that Xeno had direct experience - loved each other and in the face of a dangerous journey would never split. So there was a reason why Ruri was in Japan as Tsukasa's little sister while the boy was probably in America too.

However, in the second case, Xeno immediately understood that it was an imposed choice: she was a child.

_So why wasn't Ruri with them?_

_Did she have health problems or could she possibly not bear the journey? Or she didn't have any useful skills…_ although Xeno doubted that other people were talented enough to be useful.

They were all kids playing with science.

_So did that mean she was a person of power within the village structure? A guide during the absence of strong personalities like Senkuu or that Ryuusui?_

"We are here to protect your sister, you know when your sister is important to all of us. We could never allow anything to happen to her. Jasper and Turquoise are always with her."

Xeno glanced anxiously at the tape, hoping that it was recording this piece and not the one about the story earlier about the second girl's broken fingernail.

This was important.

Vital.

Why was Ruri's sister so important to be protected by two people? Were two warriors standing by her side or someone guiding her?

"They raised me and served me at their best, if I know they are with her, it reassures me… after what happened to Senkuu..."

"Don't think of anything else Ruri-chan who just saddens you for no reason! She's safe with us."

The girl's name was not spoken and Xeno settled in the chair waiting to hear it. However the phone call was cut off after their greetings.

Xeno made a face, wishing he had wanted the chat to end all along.

He therefore only had his registration for his hypotheses.

Probably Ruri's sister was important, not like Senkuu, but fundamental nonetheless. The magician then lied about no one else was the safe guide the crew needed… but also Luna did that. Didn't she?

Xeno didn't know what to think.

He put his fingers to his chin as he started the recording of the phone call he had just heard.

Some details might have been revealed and he had probably lost it buried in useless chatter. He couldn't allow it.

Even without knowing her name, Xeno was incredibly curious to meet the mysterious girl, who if she was really so fundamental to the foreign group, she wouldn't miss the opportunity to talk to someone as intelligent as him.

\---

Kohaku kept her gaze straight ahead.

Suddenly the wall had become a safe place to focus on from the shirtless boy on her left.

Stanley was the only man who could make her feel weird - in a good way - and make her want to be touched, even if they didn't have to.

It had been a few days and, even if she believed in the existence of the love at first sight, it was sometimes difficult for her to connect that that wonderful man next to her was there because he was the killer of Senkuu and especially at the first order of Xeno, he would kill other people, including her.

The first guy she had a crush on had rejected her saying that love was illogical, the second wouldn't have rejected her, on the contrary, he would not stop making her understand that he would go further with her until he would make her lost the ridiculous nickname he had given her.

Yet something frightened her.

The warmth in her lower abdomen even just at his sight gave her no comfort.

Probably indeed surely Stanley would have used her for his needs without considering her feelings and she would have found herself alone.

Kohaku wasn't a fool.

If she had survived until then on her own strength, it was because she could understand people's intentions.

Stanley didn't seem violent, but he was a killer, trained to kill and despite his fleeting apology on the subject, he would kill again.

A murderer, who killed his fellow men without a reason, who preferred to hurt instead of understanding his neighbor wouldn't have loved as she deserved.

This was not the future she wanted or a short relationship.

She was so flustered that when Stan's fingers slipped through her hair trying to move a strand behind her ear, Kohaku winced.

Stanley remained with his hand in midair, but didn't flinch further. He smiled at her briefly.

Meeting his eyes again, albeit briefly, made her wonder if she was exaggerating in seeing herself already in a relationship with him.

What he was doing with her could also be a playful pastime, the hope of getting help to escape by flirting with her.

Yet Kohaku was a girl and as such she would have daydreamed of being happy.

Gen had told her that everyone - even if for different reasons and ways - had an ulterior motive and, listening to his lessons, Kohaku had a little more about men and mentalism.

The lies weren't that hard to detect, and Stanley had been too precise in his choice of words to tell her to appear interested in her.

She didn't like liars.

She didn't like having to pay attention to every whispered word around her, believing that even the smallest display of affection and understanding was a trap.

In truth, she wasn't strong enough to carry out Gen's plan.

As soon as she left the room, she would tell him that she didn't want to continue and that he had better choose someone else.

Minami maybe. She was beautiful and more self-confident, she was used to talking and meddling in the facts of others or maybe Kirisame. She was shy but she would have a more interesting story to tell Xeno; not only she hadn't been petrified but for years, but she had petrified those who refused to obey orders.

Kohaku rested her head against her knees pressed to her chest. The only source of light was a lantern, as there were no windows. The reflection of the reddish light danced against the wall, distracting her from the small stain she had managed to find on the wood.

Stanley wouldn't miss her, for a man like him, a girl was as good as another, after all.

Kohaku didn't know why but that thought made her stomach feel like when she was nauseous from something disgusting.

_"A Penny for your thoughts, my Kohaku."*_

He had spoken to her in English and she had hardly understood her own name pronounced with that narrow accent. However, she found it had a cute sound.

"What?" She asked almost sorry for having to ask for its translation. She felt her heart in her throat. _What had he told her?_

"Sorry, I don't know if the meaning exists in Japanese too… It's an expression used to ask what you're thinking about... because I've seen you curled up and I want to know what troubles you."

As soon as Stanley finished speaking, he saw how Kohaku returned to her starting position staring at the wall. Her profile was perfect in every part: her graceful nose culminated in the line of her plump lips and began with the lashes that protected the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen.

Kohaku's iris reminded him of every reproduction of the earth he had seen during his school years sitting next to Xeno who explained the whole science program to him on the first day of school every single year. The light he saw in a small colored drawing of the planet earth, he also saw it in Kohaku's eyes. 

A perfect combination of green and light blue that become one; the terrestrial and aquatic areas, two elements that made life possible.

And knowing he couldn't do anything to help her made him feel useless.

However he didn't have to do anything, he was a prisoner, he was from the opposing faction and yet he had allowed his senses to be clouded by a girl.

The only certainty he had was that once he got through the door he would forget about her. It wasn't the first time he had been carried away by the situation in which he found himself. Years of training didn't eliminate the desire to be with someone even for one night, feeling like a human being with simple emotions again.

In the years beside Xeno, he had always let the desire for warmth and contact pour over him, as Xeno did with him, without anything strange, two friends who had become everything for each other because they were alone in that cruel world.

He didn't trust Kohaku, but compared to the others she was gifted with kindness and decision in the right dose, in the dose that he hoped to find in a woman someday. After such a short time he could say that Kohaku, in another universe - one in which petrification had never existed perhaps - would be the tourist who he would help with a simple indication up to spend with her every day at her disposal in his city.

A world where they weren't enemies was so absurd and happy at the same time.

"You don't need to tell me, I don't want to force you… just your eyes darkened as soon as I said that and… I don't want to have caused you any pain… although I guess I already have."

Stanley didn't need Kohaku to remind him why he was there. The fact that he had realized he found Kohaku fascinating had upset him more than the girl herself, but also that he could talk to her so much, without feeling the need to shut up to reveal too much, made him feel uncomfortable. Perhaps more uncomfortable than seeing her almost cry.

Stanley wasn't a dreamer. 

He knew how the world worked.

However, helping Xeno build a perfect world gave him some hope of correcting what he didn't want.

He was a soldier, for him the death could arrive every day, even in that room without communications outside.

There was no calendar for him to respect, things that seemed rushed or the dream of living away from the city as an elderly man.

Yet July 4th was circled on the paper, the image of a lonely house surrounded by greenery seemed a good place to spend the years he would have once discharged from the army.

Stanley wasn't a dreamer, but he had plans that ordinary people called dreams.

"I can't change what I am," he sighed finally, looking up into Kohaku's eyes who had finally started looking at him again. "I will pay the consequences of what I have done, as you have already told me. But I don't want to make you sad among my ignoble acts."

"You didn't make me sad," Kohaku replied in a low voice, but she didn't convince herself either. "It's just that it's hard to believe… you're so nice to me and then..."

"And then what? I'm a killer, you can tell aloud. It's my job, I'm proud of it, no matter how macabre it is. I defend my country and what I love, we all do. We all think about surviving with the weapons we have at our disposal. We don't always kill people who deserve it and sometimes some orders should be ignored, but it is not possible when working to choose what to respect and what not. "

"Your work died when petrification happened," Kohaku ruled. "Now, in the Stone World everyone can choose who they are. I have seen assassins - I wanted to take revenge on - asking for forgiveness and getting it after talking to Senkuu. If you had listened to Senkuu, you would have understood. If he had survived, now he would have forgiven you. Thanks to him, I changed too, I understood so many things and I loved him from the first moment."

At the umpteenth mention of that name, because of the strange warmth he perceived from her words and because of that verb that she would never have dedicated to him, Stanley felt a surge of anger that was more than motivated. He replied piqued:

"Sorry if I killed your beloved Senkuu, but everyone thinks what they want! Xeno has to build a perfect world and growing up that world has become my-"

"Nothing is perfect in this world and you should know it!" Kohaku insisted, turning in one move, placing her hands on the floor, filling the space between them with a single leap like a lioness approaching its prey to divide it among its cubs. "Killing innocent people who try to change him really doesn't mean making the world perfect. A man like you, should have nothing to do with slaughtering his fellow men."

"It's my fucking job!" he growled in her face but Kohaku wasn't intimidated.

"Everyone chooses the fucking job they want and if it's strong enough, they can even change it!" She exclaimed back. The proud look didn't yield against that of Stan who was forced to break eye contact first as he clenched his jaw to contain himself.

He took a deep breath.

"You said you hated me without judging me days ago, was that a lie? Not even lying makes the world a better place."

Kohaku rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Men are really stupid! Of course not! Days ago I didn't spend so much time with you that I could say that _**I like you**_ and that I don't want to have you as an enemy! I don't want you to live in hatred!"

Kohaku found herself breathless, inches from Stanley's face, who had just widened his eyes. Kohaku didn't immediately understand why, but she moved away to avoid kissing him because that was what he couldn't stop thinking about. Even that morning, even before she left her cabin, her first thought had been Stanley. If he'd woken up, if his shoulder still hurt, if the bruises were still visible, if something had happened to him, if he'd like breakfast that morning, what other stupid nickname would he give her, what would he say about the new cigarettes, how many would he smoke, how much more time would she spend with him, how many other opportunities did she have at her disposal to see him smile...

Every day, more and more, even if she didn't want to, the thoughts devoted to Stanley had increased, the memory of the fleeting touches made her sleep even more agitated and her lips tingled as she thought back to Stanley's ones gently closed around the cigarette.

Kohaku believed in love at first sight, that kind of love is like a thunderbolt. 

Kohaku had seen closely what happened when lightning struck and that was what happened in that artificially lit room because the sun had no way of entering.

Kohaku liked Stanley.

She liked his confidence, his experience, every single moment they'd spent together, every idiotic joke she'd fought against, but it had been nearly four days, she'd seen what she'd wanted to see. The glow of the lightning that struck the earth until it shook with its thunder and then disappeared, taking the storm with it.

She liked him and she had just told him. That storm would have pass-

_Had she just told him? She had just told him! How did it happen?_

She was so focused on her thoughts that when she opened her mouth to speak, she also said what she had in mind, unfiltered.

That's why Stan had looked at her like she was just a crazy girl.

She had to leave or, in order to escape, she would have dug a hole in the floor to be drowned.

She stood up or rather tried to do so because after feeling Stanley's hand close around her wrist, she found herself still on the floor, but this time she wasn't sitting or squatting like before. He had pulled her to him, pulling her by the wrist and waist and making her end up with her face stuck against something hard, her body wrapped in the arms that Kohaku had medicated in the past few days. The heat she had felt on the first day by accident was now what warmed her the most.

Stan's hands were in her hair, stroking her shoulder and arm and then returning to the starting point.

It almost seemed that she could feel his touch everywhere, even if from the ear pressed against his chest she could hear nothing but the rumble of his heartbeat so high and fast that it took her breath away. There seemed to be two hearts beating and actually, listening to her body, she realized that hers too had started pumping faster.

_'That was what it felt like in the arms of someone you liked, after all,'_ Kohaku told herself, unable to hide the desire to smile from herself.

She closed his eyes for a moment, letting herself be cradled in his arms, pressed against his chest, the abdominals she had watched so much, the muscles she had seen working and felt under her fingers.

But it wasn't going to last, before her confession, they were going to fight and now it all seemed forgotten. She was in the arms of a murderer, the same one who would lead her to death too. Or Gen. Or Suika. Or Chrome. Or her father. Or Francois. Or Kinrou. Or Ryuusui. Or Minami. Or many others.

She tried to break her embrace but Stan didn't let go, in fact he seemed to hold her tighter.

"Today is our 4th of July and nothing bad can happen," he told her softly in a little whisper in her hair. "After a relaxing day together, with no problem, with no one to remember who we are, we are watching the fireworks. They are beautiful. Each fire is fired into the air and ends with a burst of color," he explained, continuing to rock her. "There are the blue ones like your dress, those that once in the sky are green like the crown of the tree you climbed on as a child... the yellow ones like your soft hair and the red ones like when you blush every time I say that you are beautiful. Every fire shines and once fired into the air it makes a noise like little thunder. The colors repeat themselves. And there are many others, many cheerful and warm, others cold and calming. Some mix like blue and green like your eyes, yellow and red, blue and yellow, green and red. Others are shot less because they are rarer, others shine more like the silver ones which are bigger than the stars and then disappear. Golden, amber, like your name too. The purple ones, the pink ones, the black ones... every color stops being alone on the 4th of July."

Kohaku hugged his body, fighting the urge to tell him that soon those fires would stop glowing, leaving only the stink of gunpowder in the air, as when Senkuu used it to blow up some of the logs to build the lever to save her.

Before Senkuu she would never have understood Stan's examples. It almost seemed that the meeting with Senkuu, the days spent in the realm of science and in Japan had prepared her to meet Stanley and the thought made her tighten her arms around him even more.

_Kohaku didn't know what day was, but it didn't matter._ _It was the 4th of July, their 4th of July._

"The last fire they shoot is the most elaborate of all, the most beautiful. The fires, in addition to dissolving as a color, can take on many forms. One of these is that of the flag I have chosen to serve until my last breath. It is very beautiful, one day you will see it live. It has thirteen alternating red and white stripes and a small blue rectangle with 50 silver stars on it. "

Stan's voice began to tremble. Before continuing, he placed a gentle kiss on her hair and lifted his knees to squeeze her with his legs as well.

"It is the firework they shoot at the end to greet us, to make an appointment for next year, but I would rather not see it, if our 4th of July could last longer."

With her cheek pressed against his chest, while her heartbeat - always agitated - seemed to have synchronized with that of Stan, Kohaku felt her own wet cheek, her eyes burn, even if hidden by his arms, she couldn't see the light. 

No day was long enough to not end, and the dawn of July 5th - the reality so destructive that they hoped not to see, that hindered them and could not change on their own - would arise for them too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♡ When I talked about love at first sight and lightning in italian is much better because love at first sight is translated in italian as lightning struck


	22. Z=180 Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kohaku should have felt her feelings about him for another boy and that ship was full of guys her age.
> 
> She'd only told him she liked him, but a simple interest could turn into a more serious crush and end with the L word.

He didn't know why he couldn't stop holding her, or rather he did, but he was also aware that he should let her go.

Kohaku in his arms had started shaking and stopped when he held her close, feeling secure only against his body.

Stanley had realized how much the girl deserved more, someone who loved and valued her.

But it couldn't be him.

All this could not last and should not have done.

For her safety and for all those she loved, Kohaku could not ignore his nature.

Stan knew he was a stranger who should never, ever invade her territory - Xeno said exactly that about the Japaneses and even Stan believed it - however only this time, it was Stan who felt like an invader.

Kohaku should have felt her feelings about him for another boy and that ship was full of guys her age.

She'd only told him she liked him, but a simple interest could turn into a more serious crush and end with the L word.

Kohaku would find someone right away, Stan was sure. Probably someone was already ready to win her heart, even if he would never be better than him. Stan knew very well how to deal with women unlike those kids (who didn't seem to understand how beautiful Kohaku was), especially with those that he was interested in.

And he was interested in Kohaku.

Every day more and more.

He felt her arms tighten around his waist, the girl's breath against his chest, her long legs intertwining with his.

He didn't look away when the dress she wore left her thighs uncovered.

It was easy to desire her, especially with her god-sculpted body, as she'd said the first time they met, but Stan doubted anyone else could handle someone like her. It was like a challenge that you didn't know you could win or lose, even if he couldn't even try.

A part of him wanted to compete with anyone, effortlessly winning against this mass of idiots.

Yet his rational side knew all too well that he shouldn't get involved in what he couldn't have.

Even though he was a stranger, he stroked her back softly, being careful not to touch her hips or bare skin. Even though a layer of cloth, he could feel how hot she was. It looked like she was going to catch fire at any moment.

His hand didn't go beyond his own leg which he had lifted between hers and Stan tried not to imagine how loud her moans might sound like or how passionate she could be.

It would have been nice if for a moment, even just one, there was no problem, no war.

Just the two of them.

Still, that cabin door wouldn't keep the world out for much longer.

His breath caught barely when he clearly felt Kohaku's fingertips touching his abs. One at a time, as if she were afraid of excluding someone. Stan looked down and met Kohaku's who raised her head.

Her eyes were different.

They were flushed from the tears she had silently shed, calming down in his arms. Yet the tears had dried, they hadn't even left any sign of their passage. The very black pupils, however, had dilated like an oil stain on the flat surface of the sea. Green and blue had mingled until they were confused, darkened by what could only be desire.

Stanley in his life had seen many people look at him that way, men and women, people with moral values and people he would rather not meet, people who wanted him for what he had, not for what he really was.

Kohaku didn't really know what he was capable of doing and what he had done in the past, she would suffer less getting up and not go back into the cabin where it all started.

The girl didn't look away, even though the silence was making them both uncomfortable. She continued both looking into his eyes and stroking him, not showing even the slightest uncertainty.

Kohaku not only desired him, but accepted him for what he had seen in him up to that point.

She let herself be squeezed by a killer who would never be understood.

"If you look at me like that, you make it more difficult for me... we shouldn't be so close."

Kohaku settled better between his legs, clinging to his shoulders and letting her hands slide down his back.

"Why?" She asked him back. Her eyes were so determined and when they stopped staring into his ones, it was to look at his lips.

It was really hard to resist, if she continued to be so seductive.

"We should stop," he replied, but his lower voice suggested otherwise. He gritted his teeth as Kohaku's fingers came down to mid-back, along the spine, actually getting closer.

"But I don't want to stop," she murmured and before Stan could reply, she closed her eyes and stretched her lips out.

"Kohaku, please stop!" He exclaimed, grabbing her by the waist to move her away from his face. "I have to resist, we have to resist..."

He really couldn't have let her go further, take advantage of her weakness. Girls at her age were still girls.

And most importantly, he had to remind himself that he had more willpower than boys in heat and that would not be enough to turn him on.

Probably if this moment had happened on the first day of his stay there, he would have taken advantage of it, indeed he would have been certain that it had been the order of the day to entertain a guest like that on that ship, but now he was not so sure.

They had always had a plan, even if Kohaku calling him 'my lord' would not have prompted him to confess Xeno's secrets in any way. But he was sure that the desire in her eyes was real. Kohaku hadn't lied about that.

He couldn't take advantage of a girl on her sexual awakening. Not on that ship. 

As long as he was in that room, he told himself, he wouldn't lift a finger at her.

Watching Kohaku part her lips was a greater sacrifice than he thought he could bear.

She was beautiful, but he had seen more beautiful ones.

He stood up to him, but he had also met some girls who had let theirself be desired.

Kohaku was extraordinarily ordinary and for this Stanley felt close to him. Or was it because they had confined an adventurer like him in such a small room for days to have scaled back his taste for women.

Not even trying to see Kohaku as one of many was working.

For more than a crazy moment, Stan just wanted to kiss her and pretend there would be no consequences.

Yet he had grown too old to know that every action had a price to pay.

He looked around to take his eyes off Kohaku's face and find a solution and he succeeded.

"Keep your eyes closed," he told her and took the cup they had forgotten there. He filled the spoon with ice cream and brought it to her lips quickly so that only having made a face, Kohaku opened her eyes and verified that it was not a real kiss.

She was confused.

She had always thought that after confessing her feelings to someone that someone, if he reciprocated them, he would kiss her as in one of the hundred stories. But Stan didn't want to kiss her, even though he didn't seem to have rejected her.

Understanding men was a torture.

"It's not ice cream anymore, but we have to finish it," Stanley explained innocently as he took a spoonful too.

Kohaku smiled incredulous. 

She would rather feel his lips and not that gooey liquid.

"I shouldn't have said that," the girl muttered, shaking her head. "Just ignore me," she added, getting up or rather trying because once again Stanley grabbed her before she could. 

Although letting her go would have been a wiser choice.

"I could never ignore you, not after what you told me."

"You don't want me, it's useless for me to try with someone who doesn't want me."

Stan's hand stroked her cheek softly, looking at her fondly.

Kohaku's heart skipped a beat - even more than one - when he saw him lean to his right.

"I can't let you go if you think I don't want you," he chanted in her ear. His warm breath against her earlobe and neck made her squeeze her legs even tighter to try to counter the tumult in her lower abdomen. The closer she felt to Stan, the more her arousal tortured her. Wanting someone wasn't so pleasant. "I told you to stop for various reasons, but not wanting you isn't one of them."

'Then tell me these reasons,' she wanted to ask, but she couldn't speak. She then left her body to do it.

She took the bowl of ice cream from his hand and placed it on the floor before pushing him to the ground. She climbed on top of him, staring into his wide eyes with surprise.

"I don't care about your motives. Xeno isn't here. It's just the two of us. Nobody will ever find out, after all... and I've just come up with a better idea for finishing the ice cream."

"Wh... what? What do you have in mind, miss?" Stanley asked interestedly, without trying to protest.

She had his full attention.

Kohaku grabbed him by the wrists and lifted his arms above his head, spreading them on the floor. She crawled across his chest, spreading her legs to move forward.

She took the rope and wrapped it around his wrists, even though she couldn't grab the ends to tie the knot, she tried it anyway.

"I told you had that kind of taste, blondie," he joked. "But what do you want to do... we can't."

Kohaku wanted so much to tell him not to worry, but she preferred to feel him shudder under her.

Once satisfied with how she had tied him - although she knew it would take a yank to free himself - she moved and knelt beside him.

She ran her fingers over his chest, stroking it again.

"Since you walked in you haven't stopped drooling for my muscles, I didn't think you were looking at that in a man."

"What do you look at in a woman instead?"

"Everything of her."

"I thought you were a boobs man."

"Just because you saw me looking at you there a few times, doesn't mean I ignored the rest... a fantastic view, by the way."

Kohaku didn't know why she ended up asking that to him, but his answer finally made her feel wanted, even if someone else said it, she would certainly punch him.

She slowly moved her soft hands all along his chest, belly and abs until she reached his navel.

Her fingers stopped at the hem of the pants and she looked up to look him in the eyes.

"I should see something else to choose what I like best in you."

"Kohaku..."

The way Stanley pronounced her name challenged her idea. It was a clear warning to stop, but in that position she wanted to do more.

"Close your eyes."

"Koh-"

"Close your eyes... I'll be quick."

Stanley opened his mouth to protest, but finally closed his eyes.

Kohaku in a quick movement, grabbed the cup of ice cream and, just moving the rope that held the trousers in place, overturned its contents - without looking - under the fabric.

The white drops slowly came down as the cup was nearly empty, but she shook it and giggled.

"You!"

Stanley's eyes widened even though he was smiling.

"You can't have done it seriously! You little..."

He barely moved his arms, but he couldn't free himself. Kohaku stood up, trying to contain her laughter and placed the cup on the tray on the table.

"Ice cream finished!" She exclaimed.

"Wait, are you leaving? You can't! You can't leave me like this!"

"The rope is just tied, you can free yourself."

"I know, but you should take care of me..."

Kohaku adjusted the dress over her legs, pivoting to show off and Stanley knew she had done it on purpose.

"If you had been a good boy, I would have cleaned my tongue where I had messed up, but not now. Have fun with the rest of the training, anyway."

She took the tray and went out, closing the door behind her.

Stanley started to laugh, thinking back to how absurd it was to see her on him and then she ridicule him like that.

He gave the rope two jolts and managed to free himself. He lowered his arms and began to pull the rope around his waist to lift it up and then fix the problem that she had caused him.

"That's my girl… Fuck, I desire her even more now."*

\---

"Do I have to make another call today?"

Gen wrapped his arms in his sleeves. Before answering Minami, he shook his head.

"No, thanks, Minami-chan! That's enough for now. We don't have to say much either because too much information might make him suspicious and above all, because there are still things to do before settling accounts with Xeno-chan."

The reporter didn't ask for more details because she knew that Gen wouldn't say anything else.

"But there is one thing I would like to ask you... the night Senkuu-chan was... you know... did you see where he was hit?"

Minami immediately looked away as if she were the direct culprit of his murder. Everyone, in the hours after Senkuu's death, had thought about what would happen to Gen as soon as he found out.

Losing someone you loved was one of the most painful things to endure and he hadn't even been there to pray for him.

"No, Ryuusui just told us… no, I shouldn't tell you, you wouldn't stand it. We didn't see Senkuu after his death. We prayed outside the cabin for this reason."

Gen's eyes narrowed.

His heartbeat filled his ears.

"Which?"

"That Stanley shot Senkuu with too much cruelty. He devastated his body and I don't feel like saying anything else, sorry... Ryuusui said he was completely unrecognizable," she replied and at the mere memory, it looked like she was about to burst again to cry.

"Thanks, Minami-chan... Stanley told me what you told me. I hoped he lied, I wish he hadn't gone away like this... suffering the pain of the hell. He didn't deserve it… Senkuu-chan..."

Minami hugged him tightly.

Gen stared at the cabin where Ryuusui and Francois spent more time than they should.

If his guesses were correct, he would soon be hugging his Senkuu-chan again.

Heaven only knew how much he needed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ The sentence with * is in English.


	23. The forgiveness is like the sea, the revenge a river

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The closer you see death, the more fearful you are. Fearing for the people you love is proof of how big your feeling is. No matter how strong you are, Homura. The fear of losing those you love will be stronger more than the truth itself."

Air filled her lungs.

Her legs gave way and the tray nearly fell from her hand.

Kohaku crawled to the ground against the wall, clutching the glass to her breast to keep it from breaking.

Her legs buckled under her weight. She had tears in her eyes, her lower lip trembling without being able to stop it.

She couldn't believe she had done it seriously, insisted on kissing him, touching him, feeling how much he wanted her and how much she felt wanted. She hoped in a wave of shame that Stan hadn't noticed that she had just lifted her dress on her thighs to be looked at and above all, she didn't want to remember his expression as she told him that she would use her tongue to help him.

She would cry for dishonor. She had been truly unscrupulous.

Kohaku hadn't given it much thought at the time, she just wanted Stan to stop her from leaving for the third time.

She closed her eyes.

Small and thin tears wet her eyelashes without going further. She put a hand to her face, to her cheek where Stan's had rested before, feeling her flush.

She couldn't ignore her still-fast heartbeat or the hardness of Stan's body against the inside of her thighs.

She had exaggerated, but she had felt so alive. 

His skin against hers.

His fingers in her hair.

His breath against her neck.

At the mere memory, Kohaku felt a mixture of embarrassment and desire together, as well as the crave for getting up and returning to him.

_How far would she have gone, if Stan hadn't stopped her?_

The question made her stomach twist and blush even more.

She brought her hand to her mouth, covering it with her palm as she breathed softly to calm the turmoil in her chest. 

Against her skin she could feel the outline of her lips and for a single moment, she wondered if receiving a kiss was such a sensation.

_Would receiving a kiss from Stanley be as pleasant as in her fantasies?_

It was another question she didn't have the strength to answer.

_What would happen when she saw him again, when they would be **alone** in that small room again?_

Suddenly something banged against her arm. She looked down and saw Hyoga's gloved hand offering her the other empty cup, the one that Kohaku had given him before entering the cabin.

"May I ask you to take it to the kitchen with the other one? Tsukasa hasn't relieved me yet."

She had better not think about the fact that Hyoga had probably seen her reaction to Stan.

She nodded and straightened the tray in her trembling hands.

She placed it on the ground and tried to get up, but the tip of Hyoga's spear entered her field of vision.

"I've proven more than one time how effective my spearhead and my ability to wield it are. One word, only one, and he will regret doing something to you."

It took Kohaku a while to record what Hyoga meant: _'If Stanley has hurt you, I'll kill him.'_

"No, no!" She hastened to say, also finding the strength to stand up. Hyoga imitated her, towering over her with all his height waiting for a motivation. "Nothing happened, don't worry. Sometimes a bad memory comes to mind and I feel like crying, but it's not his fault. He didn't do anything I didn't want him to do."

_Actually, he had done less than Kohaku hoped._

The warrior stared at her in silence for a few minutes as if to evaluate whether to believe her or not, but in the end he asked no more questions.

"My spear is at your disposal. Whenever and against whoever you want," he solemnly pronounced and Kohaku didn't even try to ask him why he made that choice. Hyoga had always been formal, his every word seemed a promise.

"Thank you. Do you want me to bring you something from the kitchen? Will you be hungry or thirsty..."

"The ice cream was more than welcome, thank you," he replied. "I don't need anything else."

They both nodded briefly to take their leave.

Hyoga sat back on the ground in front of Stan's door while Kohaku quickly bent down to retrieve the tray from the floor.

"Problem solved," she heard Ukyo say that he had joined them. "The prisoners have stopped screaming and despairing for their friend. There are Kirisame, Mozu, Yo and Magma with them, even if they don't speak English and the others don't speak Japanese."

Ukyo stopped talking, but Hyoga didn't push him to say more. Then he continued on his own.

"Nikki should be here any minute, but even she understands it little. I don't think they'll talk again after the mess they made before."

Kohaku turned to Ukyo who finally looked at her too.

"Hi, do you have to go to the kitchen?" She asked, clutching the tray.

"No, it's late for breakfast now. I need a few minutes of absolute silence."

The two passed the corridor of the prisoners' cabins.

"I guess with your hearing it's hard to take all the screams..." she commented aloud, realizing only afterward that she was bothering him. Ukyo saw her put a hand over her mouth as if it were to erase her voice.

He encouraged her with a smile.

"Don't worry. You have a pleasant voice, you don't bother me... did you hear how much they screamed? I guess they disturbed you too..."

"No... actually Stan didn't ask me anything and didn't say anything and I didn't notice it... I'm used to the noise of people, after all... the village had only about forty people but very very noisy..." Kohaku murmured, interrupting too many times. 

Tsukasa had probably gone to inform Stan of his friends' quarrel before he disappeared, even though she didn't think Stanley cared that much.

And she had been too busy with her own thoughts to hear other people's screams in a language she didn't know.

She squinted at that moment as she wondered if Stanley had joked with that Luna in the same way he did with her.

Another thing she needed to do was to stop thinking about Stan.

"Everything's okay?"

Ukyo's voice shook her, but she just nodded.

"No problem then," Ukyo considered. "When I'm thoughtful, I dive in and swim a little. It relaxes me."

Kohaku looked at the tray and when Suika passed her, she stopped her.

"Suika-chan, can you take this to Francois, please? Tell them to give you some ice cream too," she asked and handed her the tray. "And also that what they told me earlier is true."

The little girl, happy to help Kohaku, smiled at her. "And what did they tell you before?"

Kohaku reached down to look at her with her hands on her own knee.

"That ice cream tastes like vanilla and love and that... you always look for yourself in others..."

Ukyo's eyes looked straight ahead, and although he turned quickly, Kohaku noticed that his calm expression had cracked.

"Oh! So it is something we can eat then? Like cotton candy?"

"Yep..."

Kohaku smiled but said no more, letting the little girl walk away.

Ukyo had remained there waiting for her, without either he or she having decided to stay together.

They approached the deck and looked out over the river.

Kohaku and Ukyo didn't talk much or often, but they both felt comfortable when they were on the same team. They had the most powerful eyes and ears of the whole crew together.

The boy stretched out his arm and pointed to the other side of the shore, reachable by taking a longer walk too.

"Is it okay until there?"

Kohaku didn't answer.

She untied the rope on her dress and considering she was not wearing the costume, folded the cloth, tucking one of the flaps of fabric into the neckline. She took off her sandals and leaned out of the ship.

"Is this a competition? I grew up surrounded by the sea," she said as to warn him in case he wanted to compete against her.

Ukyo had taken off more clothes than her, remaining only with his pants on. The last thing he had placed on his clothes - perfectly folded - was his beloved hat. The quiver and bow were left in a hidden corner of the hall downstairs, hoping not to use them against anyone.

"I swim whenever I need to be alone... so i did it often," he replied and as Kohaku began to warm up before diving.

"So it's a race," she agreed and she was the first to jump off the ship. The last image she had of Ukyo was his smile.

She closed her eyes before the water splashed on her face. Her legs were bent so she wouldn't hurt herself, but the impact from the height of the ship made her out of air. The hair clung to the back under the weight of the water that made the dress adhere to the skin and swell the annotated fabric.

It was different from swimming in the sea that bathed the village, it was different from the other times she had found herself swimming out of necessity in that same river.

The water level rose and more splashes reached her. Ukyo had reached her by diving farther away so as not to fall on her.

"It's dangerous to swim here… race suspended," he yelled at her, but Kohaku had already figured that out by herself. If they were both there, it wasn't for fun, but to keep the thoughts from driving them crazy.

They swam in silence, separated, almost ignoring each other. They only looked after not getting hurt with the stones and the river bed's mysteries.

Kohaku's now soaked robe pushed her onto her back and belly almost making her unfocuse from the stroke she had to do to keep afloat. The point they had chosen was more far than it seemed.

Before touching the ground, the girl closed her mouth and eyes and let herself be swallowed by the water that hid her from the sight of the other boys who were working or standing on the deck and on the shore under the warm rays of the sun.

She spread her legs just to bend them and rotate on herself. There was nothing around her anymore. For a moment - unfortunately only one - she wasn't in an unknown country.

She was in her beloved village, where she was born and raised. 

She didn't meet Senkuu, she didn't meet Gen, she didn't even meet Ukyo who had started swimming with her.

Although swallowed by the sea that bathed the shores of the village, Kohaku felt her sister's gaze on her. She also heard her father's grumbling reminding her of her duty as her daughter. Ruri was about to die, she had to take her place.

She didn't meet Senkuu, she didn't meet Gen, she didn't even meet Ukyo.

Kohaku raised her head.

Her hair fell across her face like the slap no one had ever dared to give her. She couldn't open her eyes and if she opened them, she knew she would start to cry.

_**No.** _

Ruri was safe now.

She had met Senkuu, Gen and Ukyo and many others who had made their life better.

_Why had she thought about that?_

She had for a moment - only one - longed to forget everything. Being home, but her mind mocked her. Ukyo had said swimming calmed him, but she felt more upset than before.

She clung to the first mound of stones that she could feel against the palms of her hands. Her hair was still flattened against her lids and lips, allowing her neither to look nor to ask Ukyo where he was.

She couldn't hear his voice, probably because of the water that she had gotten into her ears, or maybe because the boy was tired of talking.

As soon as she felt the ground under her hands and knee, she crawled until his palms trampled some grass. She dropped onto her back and pushed her hair away from her face with some difficulty.

_'Gravity,'_ she thought, remembering when Senkuu had explained what it was. He had also told her that everything around them was science, but if she had to think about every single movement and force around her every time, she would go crazy to remind her everything.

For this aspect, Gen and Senkuu were identical. Gen had also told her that around her, each person told a story - theirs own - and she had to observe and predict their moves to understand their past and their hypothetical future.

However Kohaku didn't want to.

Perhaps it would have been easier to understand exactly what people would do to win against them, but Kohaku preferred to face the consequences of their actions, not assumptions of their ideas.

Understanding and discovering the story of that person day by day, without pressures or hurry. Even an impulsive person like Kohaku had clear that many things to grow - like grain - they needed time and care. 

This was what she would have preferred to do now.

In those hours when Gen talked to her and made her practice predicting behaviors, teaching her how to lie and hid her emotions behind a calm expression, Kohaku get bored and only the duty to avenge Senkuu and ruin the man who ordered it prompted her to store every notion carefully.

The river water wasn't cold but the wet fabric didn't help against the chills that she started to get.

Then there was Stanley.

He could have not fired, he could have talked some sense into his friend as according to Gen, Stan was the only one who could handle Xeno. He could have done anything to prevent Senkuu's murder.

He said it was his job, _but could a job really involve killing another human in cold blood? How?_

She untied the knot that held the dress in place and squeezed the fabric to drain the excess water. It dripped between her hands and her legs spread apart until the grass she lay on was wet too.

She had to hate Stanley more, ignoring that she felt something for him because people were the choices they made, and his choices weren't in line with what Kohaku believed. 

Yet Stanley was so kind to her, so nice. 

His eyes weren't cold like a murderer's, they weren't like Ibara's, who enjoyed seeing life die out in front of him.

She had started to tremble, but she didn't know if it was from the water or the memory of that ignoble human being.

However people were not equal to each other, they all had a way to express their emotions, even if in the end they were the same.

Gen had told it to her the first day, after the phone call with Xeno.

Understanding how a person expressed joy, towards what they felt joy could help to better understand what could be of interest in a hypothetical negotiation. Each person had at least one weakness and a mentalist was trained to recognize it within minutes or his pride would suffer for years.

In the worst case, there would be no second chance to try it again.

Kohaku stood up and although the dress was lighter, it continued to weigh on her chest and make her tremble. She decided to walk a bit to see where Ukyo had ended up. 

She hadn't strayed from the ship. 

She could see it and whoever moved ashore saw how long she had taken to reach the land.

She moved among the bushes, bending to avoid the low branches, continuing straight ahead. Every now and then, she looked at the river to see if Ukyo appeared above the water level, but it was all quiet. 

The sun's rays reflected on the water without the slightest ripple as if there was a mirror in front of the sun.

"Ukyo," she called without needing to raise her voice. The boy was in front of her and he wasn't alone.

Kohaku had never realized that they had arranged the ropes to hang the laundry farther from the ship.

There were many people who lived in close proximity on the ship. In crowded environments more dust was raised and drying laundry where there was dust was the most efficient way to get it dirty again and thwart any effort.

Someone was moving among the white sheets, the sun casting their shadow clearly on them.

Ukyo was sitting on the ground and like Kohaku, he dripped onto the grass without having a chance to dry himself. Kohaku admitted to herself that swimming in the river hadn't been a brilliant idea.

Homura came out the sheets with her dagger between her teeth and a big basket in her hands that made her look even smaller.

"It's only you two..." she said even though the words came muffled because of the weapon she had in her mouth, but both Ukyo and Kohaku understood her without any effort.

"Did you prefer it was someone else?" Kohaku asked, sitting with her legs spread, with her back against the trunk of a curved tree.

"Uhh... I don't want to fight at any cost, I just thought it was some of the enemies even though we have almost all of them here."

_**Enemies.** _

_**They were enemies.** _

Homura had used the right word, but Kohaku gritted her teeth disappointed just the same.

If Xeno hadn't ordered that Senkuu had to be killed, it would have been easier. 

Tsukasa would have captured Stanley anyway and probably Stanley could have convinced Xeno too that all people of the Perseus ship wasn't what he believed they were.

Too many hypotheses crowded her mind and Kohaku didn't want to confront things that didn't exist.

If Senkuu had seen her that way, he would have laughed at her, repeating that feelings and desires only wasted time.

"... decided."

Kohaku hadn't heard any of the words Ukyo's calm voice had uttered.

"I don't know. For me it was enough for them to burn them. They are only sheets..."

Although the conversation seemed alien to her, Kohaku got up and walked over to the sheets that fluttered with the slight gust of wind that made even the heat of the sun pleasant.

She held out a hand, but she could not touch the fabric.

"Senkuu's sheets. Senkuu was wrapped in them. His blood was on them, wasn't it?" She asked to no one, the answer was already clear.

Now that she looked at them carefully, she could make out a very faint red halo in the center. Where the bullet had hit with more ferocity without being able to stop it, leaving only a hole.

"In the village we believe that whoever dies should be accompanied to the gods either with prayers, next to their bed, and by delivering their objects to them. Even just some blood unwashed might disturb gods."

As she explained it, Kohaku couldn't take her eyes off the sheets and the little stain. She couldn't stop thinking what Senkuu had felt as life faded into him.

And she desired his killer. 

The only person she could hate was herself.

"Sorry, I was indelicate," Homura said softly before walking past her and moving to the basket which still contained something else. "Senkuu is gone, but we will always remember him. I didn't know him that much, but Hyoga-san had and has a good opinion of him and so I do."

Homura was one of those people who had never talked much with Senkuu, Kohaku considered, approaching the other girl.

"Do you want a hand?" She asked but Homura shook her head. 

She looked down at her dress.

"Actually, I should also hang what you're wearing. You're completely wet."

Kohaku returned to her seat, smiling though the silence was more than embarrassing.

"What... what were you doing?" The gymnast asked Ukyo. "Did you fall off the ship?"

The boy smiled at her briefly. Wet hair covered his forehead and even his eyes.

"We needed a swim, but it didn't go well..."

"The day is hot... and the water of the river is horrible. It's better our sea than this river here."

"No, only the river is less suitable for swimming... and it has given us more thoughts than we needed to get rid of."

Homura was silent, in this she resembled her beloved Hyoga, Kohaku noted. Yet as with him, even with Homura, Kohaku could feel that the girl wanted to be informed.

But Ukyo had told the truth. 

The memory of Ruri dying had upset her more than her crush on Stanley.

"I didn't relax at all, Ukyo," she told him, settling herself against the trunk. "I just realized that I am still afraid of losing my sister. That I have met extraordinary people but who can lose their lives at any moment. Senkuu is dead and we do not know if-"

"Nobody will die anymore!" Homura exclaimed confidently as she unfolded an apron before lifting it over a rope. "Hyoga-san, Tsukasa... we are all strong and will protect others... if Hyoga-san needs me, I will be by his side! We will avenge Senkuu."

The girl raised her voice and the wind got stronger as she stopped talking as if the two things were linked. Ukyo lowered his head, Kohaku crossed her arms over her chest.

"The closer you see death, the more fearful you are. Fearing for the people you love is proof of how big your feeling is. No matter how strong you are, Homura. The fear of losing those you love will be stronger more than the truth itself."

"I'm afraid too... not that I want to tell others this or that others need to know it anyway! When I was petrified the second time, I didn't even have time to realize it was happening. I hadn't seen the green light. That time could also be the last one. The last time I saw Hyoga-san, the last time I breathed. However I was awakened and freed. I couldn't feel fear then but now… seeing how many bullets they were capable of firing was a return to reality that I would have preferred to avoid."

Ukyo nodded to her speech. Homura had never talked to him so much.

"We'll be able to get through that too," he replied, but the girl ignored him.

"Sometimes I wish I was as quiet as you are," Kohaku commented, turning to Ukyo who lay down on the grass. Homura looked at them, but continued with her task, probably because she would go to Hyoga once she finished there.

The boy, however, was unable to reply. He stared at the clouds that crowded the sky above them.

"The quietest people are the ones who have the most to tell... or they say so," Homura muttered, but she said nothing more.

Ukyo just raised his head and crossed his legs. He twisted his ankle, making circles in the air with his foot. 

"I really don't know, I don't consider myself so interesting..."

"Then you're not," Homura cut him short. Ukyo giggled but Kohaku found her roommate's response rude. 

A few days before, however, she would have said something similar to someone like Ginrou for sure too. 

Gen's lectures on sensitivity and the ability to read other people's emotions were really changing her.

Kohaku made a disgusted grimace. Probably that liar of Gen was using his mentalism on her too... after all, like Senkuu, Gen didn't stop until he got what he wanted too.

All the men around her were like that. For the first time she found herself thinking about it. Both Ukyo and Homura were still silent, she had plenty of time to listen to her own thoughts.

Ryuusui, Gen, Senkuu, Chrome and Stanley… even Xeno, it seemed like they would do anything to achieve their goal… whether it good or bad is.

She remembered what Stan had told her earlier: _Everyone thought about surviving with the weapons they had at their disposal._

She didn't condemn Gen for his choices, but she didn't want to be next to Stanley with the intention of attracting his attention for the purpose of the plan.

She wanted Stan's attention because he wanted her, not because he was alone and she was the only company available.

She lifted her legs to her chest for the second time that day. The sadness of imagining that she was just a replacement and that the emotions she had felt earlier were conditioned by Gen's plan shook her. She wouldn't be surprised to find that Gen intended to make the two of them fall in love to get revenge on Xeno.

However Senkuu trusted Gen and she trusted Senkuu… over the years Gen had proven himself to be a man of values, although only lies came out of his mouth.

When she got back to the ship, she would talk to him. 

She would have been adamant.

She would find out the truth.

Kohaku didn't like to make assumptions. She had tried to take steps in the world of mentalism but it had gone badly.

At least she could answer one of her many questions regarding Stan now:

_What would happen when she saw him again, when they would be alone in that small room again?_

Nothing. 

They would not be together in that room anymore.

She would never see Stanley again.

Against Xeno, however, she would not have done anything.

Gen was adept at planning and manipulating people.

He would quickly find a way to get Stan to their side - or whatever else he wanted to do with him - and then he would find someone else to talk to that crazy Xeno.

Now she understood more how Senkuu preferred forgiveness to revenge.

Forgiveness was like swimming in the sea you knew, revenge was diving into an unknown river.

\---

He had seen Tsukasa's disapproving look and in any case he hadn't been able to do anything about it.

Gen couldn't allow him to talk to his sister now that they were taking advantage of the possibility of being intercepted by Xeno to give him information that could be worthwhile. More phone calls could seem suspicious, especially since Tsukasa had never spoken to his sister before.

Xeno wasn't stupid and was quite paranoid - Gen was sure of that, it was a frequent trait among people that history had classified as dictators - in fact he hadn't left his castle even when he discovered that Senkuu was part of his past.

Xeno hadn't trusted Gen's words, believing Taiju to be Senkuu. Xeno had trusted his own abilities and his machine that Gen had managed to trick. Probably admitting it was his own fault would have made Xeno feel even worse.

But Xeno wasn't the only one who would have to admit his defeat. 

Even Gen was aware that his talents as a mentalist no longer shine as it once did.

He had spent two days thought Senkuu was dead, after struggling to accept the news. He had to trust his instincts, the connection he had always felt he had with him that hadn't died in the meantime.

How stupid he was.

And how much his Senkuu-chan would have made fun of him for going late to him.

_Senkuu-chan..._

How many tears Gen had shed, how many times in that short span of time he had thought about what would happen if he were also on the ship, next to him when he was shot down.

Unfortunately he had not been with him, he had done nothing but hope that he would whisper something in the earring he kept hidden in his sleeve, but his voice hadn't reached him anymore.

He needed confirmation.

The hope of seeing who he had lost could drive him mad, the connection between him and Senkuu could turn out to be even a shadow. 

Not real.

However, he could not ask for it openly for two reasons:

The first was his _pride_ as a mentalist.

It had been a while now, since the infamous game of poker, that he hadn't been able to think about the bad shape and loss he had suffered and cashed in for the sake of Senkuu's plan. His own plan to avenge his death - now fake death - was also to lift his pride and prove especially to himself he was still the best mentalist in Japan.

The second reason was that the plan had undergone new changes over the hours.

Its structure had always remained the same, but some points were still obscure even to himself. 

He had told Kohaku that she was going to confront Xeno. He still hadn't written what the two of them could have said and even as Kohaku improved her curtsy, Gen still felt it wasn't enough.

He needed to tell someone about his plan, someone from his time.

Not to anyone.

He needed to tell his plan to Senkuu.


	24. Z=182 Kohaku needs to talk about love (and not only her)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And how long does it take to feel love for someone? How do you know?" Kohaku asked. The quiet voice and the confidence of Ukyo's words gave her more reliance.
> 
> If there was one person who could help her understand love, it was Ukyo.

"Kohaku?"

At the sound of her name, the girl shook herself.

"Did you fall asleep too?"

Homura and the huge basket had joined her. Kohaku glanced at Ukyo who was lying motionless on the grass. Also she thought he was resting.

"Are you going back to the ship?"

"Yes," Homura replied, but she sat down next to her. She retrieved a smooth stone, after looking at it carefully, and began to file the blade of her dagger. 

Kohaku asked her no more.

She settled herself better against the trunk, but she hit Homura's shoulder and she didn't move, rather let her lean against her.

Kohaku blushed and considered whether it was better to change her spot, but she stayed there as soon as she realized that the other girl was okay with her position.

"Homura..." she murmured after a few minutes.

"Yes?"

Kohaku didn't even know why she had called her. Every conversation with Homura was born thanks to Minami as they all shared the cabin together.

To make people feel comfortable and find out more about them, she had to get them to talk about what they loved. That was a piece of advice from Gen that Kohaku immediately made her own.

"Every time you mention Hyoga your face is brighter... you must love him very much..."

The girl put down her knife and stone and turned to her with the most beautiful smile Kohaku had ever seen on her face.

"Hyoga-san... Hyoga-san is magnificent! I would give my life for him, if only he asked me!"

"You two would make a beautiful couple," she lied, but she saw Homura turn red and smile softly. Telling a lie for a good purpose wasn't a real lie… after all.

The gymnast also looked down, covering her face with her hands.

"A beautiful couple? Hyoga-san and I!"

Kohaku smiled at her to encourage her as Ukyo had done before, although looking at her, she wondered if she looked like this from the outside when she thought about Stan too.

However Hyoga and Homura had spent more time together than the two of them, there was no risk that she would appear so obsessed with Stan...

"What is it like to love a man who would kill someone?" Kohaku thought, but Homura's eyes widened and jumped up as if she heard her.

"Hyoga-san knows what he does. When he tried to kill Tsukasa and Senkuu, they were enemies. If he hadn't tried to save himself, they would have killed him as well. I love Hyoga-san and I always accept his choices. When you love a man, you also love what he thinks, what he does!"

She had actually heard it and once again, Kohaku said something inconvenient.

_'No, it wasn't true,'_ Kohaku replied, this time thankfully only in her mind. _'Why did she have to love everything about a man, even if it wasn't what she believed and had always believed? Loving didn't mean forgetting who she was.'_

To sympathize with her, she had to make her talk... to understand herself too, listening to her could be the solution.

"How did you know you loved him?" Kohaku asked. Everyone always thought about love, but nobody ever talked about how to find out what it was at the first symptoms. "Why Hyoga and not another man? Have you ever felt the need to tell him you love him?"

The gymnast soon forgot the indiscreet question that had almost infuriated her, to blush more than before.

"Hyoga-san... Hyoga-san... he's the only one I feel an endless turmoil in my chest. He's so kind, strong, rightful and handsome. The world is a better place with just his existence and I could never fall in love with another. Nobody is up to him. I was born to love him... and I didn't tell him, I don't want to tell him... Hyoga-san has no time for me... I can't ask him to love me."

Kohaku couldn't understand why everyone said they couldn't think about love for other priorities.

If they were really that smart, they would be able to combine both duty and feelings together.

For example, she would start a relationship and at the same time, fight to save her family and the realm of science. _'If you wanted to be with someone, you just did it,'_ Kohaku thought. 

The trip to America confirmed what she had always feared: Death could come anywhere and in any case for everyone. It was better to have lived a story than to take time and not be able to be with those you loved.

However she decided not to say that.

"Why did you ask? Hyoga-san... did he say something? About me?"

_'What was she supposed to do now?'_

Kohaku remembered something Gen had advised her when she would have to face someone.

Be silent and don't look away. The person who spoke first would be the one most uncomfortable. Moreover, in the silence, she could think about what to answer without compromising herself.

She wouldn't have made a good impression on lying about something that could easily be verified with a question.

However, Homura also had a good reason not to lose. She was very farsighted and even though she wasn't a bad girl, Kohaku felt that Homura would not speak easily, indeed that everything she had said up to that point had been too much.

To make people talk, she also had to share her thoughts, make them trust.

Kohaku had to speak first, if she wanted to understand her thoughts better. _All people look for themselves in others._

"Homura… if I tell you something, can it stay between us? I don't want anyone… anyone to know it."

When talking to someone to get something, the main goal was to win their interest at any cost. This was also generally desired during conversations, but in the case of Kohaku and Homura, both wouldn't let their guard down so easily.

"What?"

"I like a guy," Kohaku replied confidently. "And I wanted to understand what it felt like to someone who is in love... and you look so adorable when you talk about who you love, so mature... I don't know what to do... one moment I'm happy and then I think I don't have to feel anything for him..."

She had followed some tricks Gen had told her to make a person talk. She expected an enthusiastic response from Homura, but it didn't happen.

The girl instead looked at her suspiciously once again.

"So you like someone? Maybe someone you spend more time with lately..."

Kohaku felt her face wet again, but this time from the sweat. _Homura understood she was talking about St..._

_What could she say?_

_Confirming her suspicions was like telling the truth._

Homura retrieved the dagger and threw it into the air to grab it by the hilt before it hit the ground. Homura's eyes were furious.

"It's Hyoga-san, isn't it? That's why you didn't stop inquiring about him and asked if you could watch his prisoner to be with him, huh?"

_Hyoga?_

Kohaku's eyes widened, staring at how accurately Homura played with her weapon.

"We never met down because you go to my place, you want-"

"No, no, no!" Kohaku exclaimed, raising her arms as if to protect herself. "I'm not interested in Hyoga! Don't worry, he's only yours!"

The words Homura had heard seemed to reassure her, not before giving her another questioning look.

"So who is he?" She asked, puffing out her own cheeks. "I won't tell anyone, but if you don't tell me a name, I must think you're interested in my Hyoga-san!"

She had to imagine it, she had to foresee it. She needed to say a name, possibly someone who the others didn't like or she should have defended herself against them too.

Taiju, Tsukasa, Hyoga were excluded for this reason. The names of those who could not be taken seriously like Magma, Yo and Ginrou were also to be forgotten. Mozu was seen by all as the worst possible choice, so it was best not to throw him in the middle.

He couldn't even be Kinrou, extremely serious and probably Kirisame was interested in him as Minami had insinuated once, but Kohaku had never seen any interest between the two.

She had to make a name, a name that was credible and that would have aroused no interest in finding out whether it was true or not.

Desperate, Kohaku turned to look at Ukyo, hoping he could not hear her even asleep. She had forgotten that besides Homura there was also him and at that moment having a witness would have been a damage.

In the end, she decided.

She would have said _she had a crush_ on Ryuusui. After all, the sparkling sisters didn't stop saying how charming the captain was when they were still in the village and used every excuse to stand still and stare at him while he worked on the construction of the ship.

Ryuusui was very handsome and he had something that made her reminded of Stanley's confidence. Probably others of the crew - both men and women - had a crush on Ryuusui and when someone had a large following, there was no reason to fear revenge... Ryuusui himself wouldn't have cared about her _'crush'_ in case he found out it.

"The boy I like-"

"I get it, don't worry," Homura cut her off and grabbed her arm to take her to the other trees. "I get it," she repeated and her voice was even lower than before. "You don't need to say that, he might hear you… okay, then you want some advice."

Kohaku wondered how she understood she had a _'crush'_ on Ryuusui. It was better not to insist on the name, however.

"Yes, I would need to understand why you fall in love with a person, especially so quickly, after spending time together, how long do you have to wait to understand it? Love is not the same though..."

"You've known Ukyo for a long time now, it's normal that you noticed that you have feelings for him. He's a really nice and respectful guy, maybe considering that guys treat you like them and joke a lot, you know you want a guy who tells you that you are beautiful and he adores you as a woman... not as a friend!"

"Yes, but…" Kohaku broke off. 

Homura had exchanged her earlier glance for a silent confession. She felt she had to correct her, but even Ukyo wouldn't take her lie seriously if he ever heard it. So she avoided correcting Homura.

"Look, I think that even Ukyo, like Hyoga-san, has a mission and a job to do, also he would tell you that you can't be together for the moment. Don't tell him what you feel. Stay with him always, like I do, to show him that you are there for him... then men certainly need comfort! Minami always tells me that they do not forget who has supported them both in battle and in times of peace. Caresses are always nice... men love to touch and when it will be all in order, you'll see you'll be ready for that…" Homura confabulated confidently, dispensing advice that Kohaku couldn't even memorize, refusing to blindly follow someone just to beg for his attention.

Even when she had a crush on Senkuu, she had never forced him to be with her, nor even hoped he would be alone with her.

What the girl kept insinuating was even worse.

Kohaku had never thought about what people did to have children after marriage… at least not until those dreams about Stanley.

And even then, she would never have waited to be accepted.

It had to be her decision too.

Homura was waiting for her answer and Kohaku just smiled.

"If I tell you something, you don't have to tell Minami, okay?!" Homura, this time totally serious, sought confirmation. "She might think bad!"

Kohaku didn't know if she was more surprised by the premise or by the fact that Minami - the most knowledgeable person in the village - didn't know.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise," she replied, placing a hand on her heart. "What happened?"

The gymnast looked around and moved even closer to Kohaku. She put her hand to her ear and leaned over to speak to her.

"Once... once Hyoga-san and I... we slept hugged!"

Kohaku couldn't only feel the warmth of her breath, but also that of her body. She imagined them for a moment, but she couldn't see a serious person like Hyoga doing something so romantic.

Homura put her arm around hers and carried her to the basket.

"It was beautiful... it was cold and we were in the forest..." she said. She led her beyond the trees to get further away from poor Ukyo. "Before we attacked the village, I, Hyoga-san and other men were there. It was night and I was shaking. Then he saw it and took me in his arms. I was... so happy! I knew he did it because he worries for everyone, but sleeping in the strong arms of the man you love is wonderful. He was so warm and I felt safe. I wish that night had lasted forever!"

Kohaku had never seen Homura speak in that dreamy tone, but she felt happy for her. She would have preferred Hyoga to reciprocate her feelings too, so she wouldn't have to be satisfied with just a memory.

"Even if we only slept then... it was beautiful. Maybe now you could lie down next to him too... you could even hug him! You know when you sleep, you are not responsible for the movements you make... Ukyo will be glad to wake up with a girl as beautiful as you next to him!" Homura proposed to her, making her turn to go back.

To Kohaku it seemed like a bad suggestion.

"Go!" Homura added, giving her a little nudge in the direction of the sleeping boy. Then she reached out to retrieve the now empty basket. "Then we can talk when you want, I have to prepare lunch to take to Hyoga-san now."

Kohaku nodded and decided it was better not to ask her more.

"Thank you, Homura," she said with a smile and lowered her hands to her robe still wet from the water it had absorbed earlier. "See you on the ship."

In order not to make her suspicious, Kohaku approached Ukyo and sat on the grass without looking back to check how far Homura was from them. Her clue was only the muffled sound of her receding footsteps.

The girl lay down and closed her eyes. She should have woken Ukyo, but the boy was certainly tired from the morning he had just spent mediating between the prisoners.

It was almost lunchtime, as Homura had remembered, and she too had to worry about Stan's.

She would eat with him, back in the room, alone again, _together_.

Kohaku brought her hands to her heart, feeling its beating increase at the mere memory of Stan and his arms around her body. His hug had been intense and spending a whole night with him in that state would have been incredible. But Homura's words would not be confirmed, she couldn't do something like that.

"She's gone, huh?"

"Yup."

_What?_

Kohaku turned to the voice that had spoken to her. Ukyo looked at her, closing one eye disturbed by the light.

"Did you hear anything?" She asked him guilty. "I…"

Ukyo put his head back on the grass and smiled.

"Don't worry, I know she messed up and you are interested in knowing something... I could help you. Maybe you need a male opinion on it too."

"I didn't think you were pretending to sleep."

Ukyo sighed. "I could tell you that she had also misunderstood this too and I avoided denying her as you did..."

Kohaku sat down and folded her legs against her chest, guilty of having been discovered, although there was no trace of accusation in his voice.

"Don't worry, falling in love happens to everyone and also in a different way. You can do it once, twice, ten times or not even once. Love has multiple forms and you can love several people together, I think it is often confused with other emotions up to be belittled."

"Belittled?"

"Yes, love is not just desire or care about someone. Love as I understand it, has its own totality, but even just wanting to be with a person physically is a form of love and no one should feel judged for it."

"And how long does it take to feel love for someone? How do you know?" Kohaku asked. The quiet voice and the confidence of Ukyo's words gave her more reliance.

If there was one person who could help her understand love, it was Ukyo.

"Contrary to popular belief it is men love at first sight more often than women. They say it is linked to the desire to choose the best woman to reproduce with, but in my opinion when two people are destined to love each other, they don't need time. Even after two minutes after their first meeting, they can decide to share their life together... they will have plenty of time to get to know each other."

"It seems very... risky... you could fall in love with a dangerous person."

"True, but love is already a risk, a bet. You can choose whether not to love and face life alone or add new quests... I mean new trials to your path. Even after years a person can turn out for something more dangerous. We should never let our guard down, but living as anything can hurt us is a loss from the start. We will have plenty of time to suffer so it is better to take advantage of love and every positive emotion. You asked me how do you know when you love someone and the truth is that... Senkuu would say, science knows the answer, but I know little about science. I prefer to rely on my instinct, even to understand if a person is dangerous or not. Instinct is our first defense."

"After how many days, then, is it right to tell the other your feelings? What if my instinct will never realize it?"

Ukyo sat down next to her, moving his legs on the grass. Even his trousers had dried a little in the sun and in the air.

"How many days do you need to feel that you want to spend the rest of your life with him. Maybe it's a bit of an exaggeration, but if you are really in love, you will think long term. You will be happy with every moment shared and probably if who you like is different from whom you loved in the past, you will have doubts, but in your heart you know that you will not give up on you easily. And if you can't think of a future together, but you still like them, it still means that you should try."

Kohaku wanted to ask him more, but she was afraid that if she interrupted him, Ukyo would prefer to keep quiet. She couldn't take advantage of his patience yet.

"And I think there is nothing better than fighting for your own happiness. You are a strong girl, you will probably think that alone you can be happy all the same and I won't tell you that it is not so, but sharing something beautiful with someone who looking like you is something I call happiness."

"I like someone I shouldn't like... someone I haven't gotten to know and someone I shouldn't know... should I let it go? How can I forget?"

Ukyo looked down and Kohaku realized that perhaps it was evident that she was talking about Stanley.

"I would tell him, I would talk to him. Often people change for love or at least they try. We create in our mind a world that is different from the real one at times and we give people different actions than they would do. Both negative and positive. In the world before petrifaction, there was a lot of talk about love. Here in Stone World it is rarer to think about marriages or family, however... it is inevitable to think about this aspect of your life. You don't have to know everything now. You will learn when you need and believe that you will feel better doing what you think is right."

"What is the right thing, then?"

Ukyo shrugged.

"Everyone has a different concept of justice. Homura rightly called Hyoga rightful but he had tried to kill more people..."

Kohaku remembered in that moment that Hyoga had tried to kill her too. It was not the first and the last it happened, and strangely she had forgotten it. Probably because she had seen that Hyoga after becoming their ally, he was very serious. It was a bit like Kinrou but without a golden spear.

"... judging people will help you to understand them in part, but not to accept them. People can change if they really want to and missing the opportunity to meet someone who sees life as you is a waste."

Kohaku wanted to get up and go back to the ship to ignore the image of Stan and Xeno repenting and joining their village. Senkuu's death couldn't be overcome with so little and she couldn't love Stan.

She had always thought that the bad guys were bad and that they should be punished and turned away as the elders did with those who acted against the village. They exiled them and forgot them.

However, it seemed too difficult to forget what she was feeling.

It was also the first time she had asked herself such questions.

"I always thought you were romantic," she commented aloud. She had seen in Ukyo a sensitivity that others would never have.

Not even herself.

"You're not the first to tell me... even if I don't feel that in the past I gave my all to prove it."

She didn't know if it was appropriate to ask, but she couldn't resist.

"Why?"

"Loving is a commitment and as you understand, I've always wanted to fulfill it. I've always thought that loving someone was part of my destiny... maybe it's a bit long as a story, I don't want to tire you..."

However Kohaku leaned her head against her own knees and watched him waiting for him to continue. She would listen to him for hours.

"You won't. Please..."

Ukyo nodded.

"I felt Homura when she said she was destined to love Hyoga. I also felt that way when I was with this person I had met when I needed them most. I had a job that I loved and tried to do my duty even though I felt the weight of loneliness. Not much to say about how I met this person. We were at a charity party. I had wanted to go there even though I was incredibly tired. After making my donation, I just wanted to go to sleep, but just I saw them, I changed my mind. They was beautiful and just when I decided there was no point in wasting time hoping we would talk, they spilled their drink on me."

"But…"

Ukyo smiled at the memory.

"They told me some days later that they had done it on purpose to ask for my phone number with the excuse of paying the dry cleaner bill… it was a service that washed clothes for a fee, popular in my day."

Kohaku was grateful that he had included a brief explanation about that term she had never heard before.

"I was in love. I fall in love often, I also realize that I fall in love too easily, but I can't help it. People don't even notice when I blush and it's better this way, it's my secret. Gen would certainly do a comment about my zodiac sign to justify me. It usually passes to me after a few hours, but not that night. I also thought about how beautiful our life together would be, how it would be the house where we would have... I know it's embarrassing, I'm so stupid to think about all this."

"No, it's not embarrassing and you're not stupid!" Kohaku protested and took his hand in hers. "I think that if you love someone, you don't let anything stop you and that your every choice is up to you alone."

It sounded pretty incoherent of her, but she said it anyway.

"After a week we dated and shared every single thought, I told them I was in love. I would never have imagined their answer."

"What did they say?"

" _I love you too_ , they replied. _It's only a week, but I want it to be like this every day_. I still remember asking them if they wanted to marry me the next month. A week later - so two weeks since I knew them, they wrote that they wanted to know when I was off work. I asked them why, if they wanted to go somewhere… I had thought about going to the spa together, but they told me they needed a date to book our wedding."

"Really?"

Kohaku couldn't imagine that the calm and collected Ukyo had such a story. He had been incredibly brave.

"A normal person would have been angry, but I just told them to schedule it for the first day off the next month, when I would have a chance to take some days off. We would get married and we both couldn't wait. We were young and stupid, but in love. I don't know if they too, but I didn't regret my choice for a moment."

"They surely not regretted it! They loved you," Kohaku commented. It wasn't a question, it was a statement and as such it needed no answers. "And you loved them. So are you still married now? You have no idea where they went? When we go back to Japan, we can get them back like we did with Tsukasa's sister! For sure we will find them!"

Ukyo tried to smile at her, but couldn't. He looked down.

"No, I'm not married. But it's true that we loved each other. We probably would have done it, if it weren't for a few days from the wedding, I was busy with work. They called me, they was back from their job, they was a nurse. They had more absurd shifts than mine. Together we would probably have spent little time at home together, but knowing that we were almost married gave safety to both of us… maybe I better interrupt me here. "

Kohaku squeezed his hand harder. She hadn't moved it since she had stroked it.

"Your eyes are so sad, don't hurt yourself..."

"I didn't say it for me, I went ahead, waiting to meet them again."

"Meet them again?"

"Every person and thing destined for you finds a way to reach you. I believe in this and in many other things that you could call sappy. I also believe that when a person dies, they never leaves you. And this person who was so important to me, had never abandoned me. They guided my every thought and action. You know… their dream was a world without wars, a world without violence. They would join the realm of science without even waiting for Senkuu to ask them. They was the best person I knew, but an incident - which I witnessed by telephone - took them away from me and the life we would have lived together. Sometimes I feel responsible for their death even though it had been established that the fault was of whoever was driving the car that hit them. Not that it makes me feel any better, some of it died with them."

From Kohaku's eyes, the tears she believed she had saved that morning ran down her cheeks one after another.

She looked at Ukyo who, unlike her, was not crying. Although he kept his usual soft expression, but under the palm of her hand, Kohaku felt him tremble.

"I'm... I'm sorry," the girl muttered, but she couldn't say more. Her voice had been interrupted by sobs she couldn't stop.

"When you find someone you feel special and for whom you are destined, hold on to them. No matter how long, or how much you know about them. If you share the vision of life, you already have something in common. Take what you find, be happy, Kohaku. I will not ask his name, I will not embarrass you or tell others. If you need to talk, I will do my best to listen to you but promise me that if you understand that this guy is not meant for you, you will walk away from him. Loving is a gamble, but if you can remember that love has to make you stronger and not weaken you, you will be able to take the good from this story."

Kohaku didn't know what to say and couldn't even say a single word anyway.

"Don't feel guilty about your feelings. If you fell in love with him it's because it had to happen. I'll be the last person who should say it, but use your heart and mind. And if he should take advantage of you... remember that I have an excellent aim and I know how to make knots that are very difficult to untie."

The girl wiped her tears and took a deep breath before smiling at him. But Ukyo wasn't looking at her.

Kohaku rested her head on his shoulder. She raised her arms and squeezed him quickly, feeling uncomfortable to touch him. He was shirtless while her dress was still damp from the water. She also didn't know if Ukyo liked that contact or he was comfortable with it. She continued to hold him, and he didn't object.

"I will do everything to be happy and I will treasure everything you have told me," she murmured against his shoulder. She wanted to tell him that she knew how to listen and that she would be there for him too. They had never talked so much, but they both respected and trusted each other. "Nobody knows about this story, do they? I'm sorry you carried this burden alone..."

"No, don't worry. I have never been alone, I will never stop looking for what is meant for me and what will make me feel good, which can also make the world better. For all of us."

Kohaku squeezed him tighter until she pulled him close. She stroked his head, running her fingers through his wet hair. She lowered her mouth to the boy's ear.

"You said you don't think you were romantic, but your special person listened to your voice last, you were the last to be with them and love them to the end. They would be so proud of you now and of how kind you are with anyone. You will make this world a better place for them too. _'Thanks for everything,'_ they would tell you, I'm sure."

Ukyo didn't answer. Kohaku thought she had gone too far in talking to him like that. She bit her lip and tried to apologize, but as she opened her mouth, she felt something wet her skin and some silent sobs. Kohaku thought probably Ukyo had learned to cry without being heard by others and this contributed to making her heart break even more.

Then she rested her chin on his head and closed her eyes. She continued to hold him to her chest, leaving him cry all his tears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ Ukyo's background story! I chose to write they/them for his person to follow your own hcs about him. 
> 
> I know you are waiting for sengen and Stanhaku but this story is a fixed fanfiction so I'll put all things I would like to "fix" in the canon and give more deep to some characters is one of them.
> 
> ◇ Sengen is coming btw in the next few chapters there are a lots about them. Imagine this chapter would be in the previous one but only this one is long 5314 words. 5-3-1-4 words. See you to next chapter (hope to write it soon but always in a few days, rl happens :/). Thank you for your support 💚💜
> 
> ♧ Fun fact: Both psychological (the fact about how make people talk) and 'scientific' (Men love at first sight more than women) are true. The first I saw it in some videos on yt, while the second I'd read on a site in italian.


	25. Z=183 Farewell of ash

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone protected what they loved, even a man trained to kill like Stanley preserved who he cared about.
> 
> If they had shown him that they were people with good intentions towards them even towards Xeno, the truce would have been closer.
> 
> But Stanley didn't think like them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♡ Sorry for taking so long but It's like with Gen. More we are close to the climax more making mistakes is dangerous. When I updated this story daily (without sleeping btw because I write, edit, translate and edit again), I made a few mistakes that I always regret. Hope to fix them in a way or another.
> 
> ♤ Btw at the end of the chapter, what it would be a note actually I put it in the chapter because it was too long. It's not part of the story so it will have many mistakes into it, ops.  
> Ah, in the chapter when there is "..."* means that the dialogue was in english even in italian version.
> 
> ◇ The next chapter will contain a couple of important scenes and... more 👀
> 
> ♧ On twitter I always say when I'll update the story and some random stupid hcs, I'm nice in case you are interested!

The first thing he saw was some flowers.

Black, purple, red spots had sprung up all around him.

The more he closed and opened his eyes, the more they increased, forcing him to almost bend over.

The field in which he had found himself had been invaded.

Senkuu first tried not to step on them, then he could not help but walk away to avoid being attacked. It was impossible for him - and whoever was in his place - not to touch them with his feet.

The petals and stems curved and snapped under his weight, instantly turning to ash.

_The lament of earth was heard, the destruction of life._

Senkuu could not understand what was happening. Under the soles of his primitive shoes, the ash disappeared before it could leave footprints on the grass as the flowers continued to bloom.

A stream now divided the field into two irregular parts.

The water that flowed inside it made no noise, colliding with smooth stones in the middle, which formed a sort of suspension bridge.

_The shadow of water was seen, a vision of change._

Senkuu approached it.

The clear water didn't return his reflection and in a way he was grateful. He didn't want to see how his recovery made him look.

His knee-length robe puffed up in the light breeze blowing in that field. He grabbed it, even if it wasn't so long as to prevent him from moving, and put his foot on the first stone, the other on the second, managing to overcome every inch of that stream just mentioned.

After his passage, the stream disappeared along with the flowers, leaving only confusion in Senkuu's mind.

So he walked.

As the walls of his laboratory became closer and closer, Senkuu felt more relaxed.

He ran to the wide open door and his body didn't complain about the movement.

He came to the glass-topped table, still full of what he had left there the last time he didn't even remember.

The two ampoules and four test tubes were filled with brightly colored solutions like shop lights during parties. He didn't need to say what they were. He knew very well and would soon use them to...

As Senkuu's fingers touched the glass of the test tubes, his shadow - which seemed to have a life of its own - gave them a push, rolling them onto the table.

Senkuu, for the first time, felt genuine anguish without being able to stop it. He held out his hands, but he came too late.

The containers from the surface of the table disappeared from his field of vision and crashed to the floor.

The sound startled Senkuu, who leaned over to see the damage done.

The liquid contained in the vials flowed to the ground, leaving a graveyard of flakes and shards of glass the size of bullets.

Senkuu was not stupid.

He would have spared any injuries in picking up the splinters. He didn't even try to reach out, now what he had worked so hard for was unrecoverable.

A pang of pain shot through his chest, tearing him apart and coloring his robe red.

A strange squeeze in his heart made him cough.

The blood smelled of iron, what Senkuu was tired of smelling. He put a hand to his chest, staining himself. The heat in his gut made it difficult for him to walk.

_A hug of fire, moan of pain._

He clung to the table so as not to fall on the glass, the blood dried around his fingers.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Every sensation faded into that sense of confusion that had caught him a few minutes or maybe hours before with the flowers.

The pain became more bearable until it disappeared.

He was dreaming, now he was sure of it. Soon he would wake up and find himself in his room, motionless, with no one else knowing he was still alive.

When he opened his eyes the scenery had changed again, but it had not returned to reality. The room was different from the cabin on the ship. Yet this new place was familiar to him.

No wounds crossed his chest this time, no shards of glass threatened him from the floor, no splash of color was surrounding him.

There were narrow wooden bars in front of him. Senkuu counted them. There were ten of them.

He held out his hands.

Little hands - his ones - touched the bars. Under his knees was a soft colored carpet, softly outlined toys beside him.

He didn't remember those at all.

_'I am here again,'_ he thought. _'Why?'_

A new wave of anguish shook him; even deeper than before.

He closed his eyes once again, but the dream wasn't over yet.

A bored voice rang out from the next room, becoming louder even though the walls should have absorbed her words into a muffled whisper. Senkuu, who was a three-year-old at the time, couldn't memorize all those long phrases and words.

Once again, Senkuu did nothing but touch the bars in front of him waiting to see what would happen soon… even though he already knew.

A petite woman entered his room, walking straight to him with a quick and confident step. She leaned over the fence to check him out with an expression that even the 19 years old Senkuu couldn't understand yet.

Her sweet smell of caramel and cinnamon filled his nostrils until it was all too bitter.

_The breath of the East, a farewell air._

Her curly hair fell across her face in the movement, hiding her forehead. However, her face softened slightly. Her mouth twitched into a satisfied smile like the one everyone saw on Senkuu's lips every time he made a decision.

It was like looking in a mirror.

Her emerald green eyes were large and stared down at him proudly. Anyone would have been afraid if they were in his place, but Senkuu could not be afraid.

The baby felt lifted from his playpen almost as if he were floating in her arms.

_'It's over,'_ he told himself. _'Also this time,'_ he added regretfully.

He closed his eyes.

When he opened them, the hot tears he frequently shed the most wet his cheeks. 

Like every time he woke up after yet another lucid dream. Like every time he relived his assassination attempt.

Senkuu's head throbbed with pain like the wound in his chest that had forced him to bed. Completely sweaty, he almost slipped on the covers. The bandages were wet not only from the blood, like every time he had that dream.

"Mom," he muttered, hoping to free himself forever from the only memory he had of his mother. Or probably it was only some images he rebuilt from everything he knew about her.

At the end of each dream, however, he had that strange feeling that he preferred not to have. For once, even once, he wished he had new memories of her.

As a child, when he had already been entrusted to Byakuya, he saw how all the other children around him had both mother and father, brothers and sisters, cousins and nephews, uncles and aunts, grandparents and grandmothers. They had a family, which he was denied.

He had never made a problem of it, he received all the affection and care he needed already from his _'annoying'_ adoptive father.

Byakuya was his family, he worthed for all the figures Senkuu hadn't had in his life. 

The little information about his real parents he had gleaned from him over the years, he had buried in his mind until his brain finally erased it.

Yet from the night he was nearly killed, he kept having nightmares about who had given him life and who had made him the man he had become. Having felt death so close had destroyed all protection against his emotions and his past.

He couldn't have said he was healed, if he hadn't soon returned to being the same as before.

He sat up with some difficulty, but in addition to his strange and lucid dreams about his mother, he felt better than a few hours ago. He touched his forehead and felt it warm, but not hot. At least there was a good thing about sweating.

The door opened and Ryuusui came out carrying a tray with their lunch. He set it down on the table, to hurry back to the door and close it.

"Have you woken up long?" He asked him. The lantern he was lighting wobbled under his hands.

Senkuu touched his head which continued to hurt.

"Yes."

"Francois is still busy, they said not to wait for them, although I think you prefer their company to mine."

Senkuu smiled as his mother had done a few minutes before in front of his eyes.

"Why doesn't Francois scream when they speaks and they is always extremely polite? Yes, I don't deny it."

Ryuusui took no offense.

"I know Francois is Francois, but come on, I'm good too taking care of you."

"Ah, yeah, you're good. Thanks to Francois, of course," he joked, but let Ryuusui do whatever he had decided how to set him up against the wall and put his tray with his plate of roast on his legs. "Have you talked to Gen? When is he going to settle scores with Xeno?"

Senkuu still didn't know what was going to happen, but he certainly wasn't going to stay in that room much longer.

He wanted to go to Xeno too and watch him realize he hadn't been able to kill him.

"I have no idea, I haven't talked to him yet," the captain replied, taking his place beside him. Senkuu looked down. "I've seen him talking to Minami before and every time they make phone calls, they don't allow anyone to listen."

"He's probably using Xeno's ability to intercept us to our advantage. Typical of the Mentalist," he explained. He didn't want to smile, but he saw Gen's face in his mind.

"Don't worry, I'll talk to him later."

"Ah, you bastard, what do you think I'm worried about? We're talking about the Mentalist. He knows what he's doing," he said, sticking his fork into a piece of already cut meat.

Ryuusui passed him the bread he had left in its basket and hid his grin at his comment.

He had heard too much Senkuu in the other days to know that he had made a great effort to return to the usual grumbling.

"Right," Ryuusui whispered and they began to eat in silence.

\---

During meals, the deck of the ship got more crowded.

Gen had found a place in the shade, and even though he was too busy for lunch, he watched everyone sit on the ship or by the river to have their meal.

He wondered if Kohaku was still with Stanley and how it was doing between them. Certainly the pilot had appreciated the new cigarettes and for this reason, he would have been less hostile towards the girl.

However, Stan had never been hostile to her - in fact, he seemed to flirt and use her company to not miss Xeno and his life.

Gen's were only personal impressions, but it was thanks to his own impressions that he was able to worm out the most hidden side of people.

In fact, the Mentalist hoped that Kohaku's constant presence and her alert temperament could push Stanley to have a good impression of them and to support them at the right moment.

Everyone protected what they loved, even a man trained to kill like Stanley preserved who he cared about.

If they had shown him that they were people with good intentions towards them even towards Xeno, the truce would have been closer.

But Stanley didn't think like them. He was a man of action rather than thinking about what to do. Kohaku resembled him for this aspect and probably seeing someone with a strong personality - Xeno also had a strong personality and Stanley is incredibly attached to him - would have prompted him to look at the crew in a different light.

If he hadn't noticed it was a trap. In case he had even suspected that Kohaku was deceiving him, he would have retaliated at the earliest opportunity.

Gen didn't think Stanley could betray Xeno, but as Xeno was important to him, the pilot exerted a marked influence on the scientist as well.

If Stanley had supported the truce, Xeno would have been more easily persuaded.

Gen had to exploit every element he had in their favor and those to their disadvantage had to be changed.

It was bad to even think so, but feelings were the best weapon to use against the people who felt them.

The most common mistake made when interacting with people was to underestimate emotions. Emotions had to be listened to, not ignored, both when they were felt and when one was only witnessing those of others.

Emotions were complex and difficult to read, but there was an absolute truth: all people with a beating heart in their chest felt them... even if distorted, filtered in their way of thinking and living, the emotions were always there.

After lunch, Gen would speak with Ryuusui to take a couple of next steps of his plan and worst-case scenarios.

In fact, a Mentalist as good as him didn't have to prepare only a plan, but also possible alternatives to problems he could have run into, making a single mistake.

He looked up and saw Homura marching fast, probably going to the kitchen or to check on Hyoga. The two were inseparable (or at least the girl would have wanted it so).

"Homura-chan!" He screamed, raising his hand to get her attention, but she ignored him.

The girl disappeared from his sight, probably running faster.

It was a better option to try to find Kohaku, without going into Stan's cabin. He didn't even need to get off as many warriors took over during their lunch break. He got up and walked over to the door so he could stop someone and ask where Kohaku was or if she could go back to him.

His answer came quickly.

Homura came out of the kitchen and, considering that Gen had stood in front of the entrance, this time she had to get close to him to reach Hyoga.

"Ah, Homura-chan, can you ask Hyoga-chan if Kohaku is still with the prisoner?"

"No."

Gen looked at her dazed for a moment, then folded his arms in his sleeves as usual and smiled.

"No for the question or for Kohaku?"

"Both. Kohaku is busy off the ship."

Gen looked at her without saying anything else, sure that as long as he didn't move from there, Homura couldn't escape him.

The silence was an unbearable burden for the girl who puffed out her cheeks.

"I can't say more. Leave her alone, the prisoner may not eat, who cares."

"That prisoner is why we are still alive. Without him, Xeno would have already blown us up. If there is one person who deserves more attention here, it's that prisoner," he explained without smiling. "Hyoga-chan watches over him... if Xeno finds fault with his state, what do you think will happen to Hyoga-chan since he was Stam's guard? Poor Hyoga-chan!"

Homura's hands trembled around the tray, but her expression remained wary.

"What do you mean by that! Hyoga-san isn't afraid of another mad scientist! Just because Kohaku is talking to whom she likes and not being a servant girl for once that doesn't mean something has to happen to Hyoga-san! Now get out of here!"

"Who is with her now?"

Homura snorted.

"But why do you care? I promised I wouldn't say anything!"

Gen stared at her, slightly arching his eyebrow. Homura was strong and probably would have knocked him out with a single kick, but on that ship he was in charge now.

He wouldn't impose on anyone the power he didn't want, the plan had already begun and without it, he was not sure that they would return safely to Japan.

Not even the silence helped to make her give up this time.

"You're a good friend, Homura-chan," he complimented with a sincere smile as he thought about all the boys on the ship. _'Who could be that one Kohaku liked?'_ "Don't worry, now I find her by myself. Enjoy your meal," he finally said, moving aside to let her pass.

Homura waited firmly in her seat before going downstairs.

"Give her a day off! That girl is still grieving Senkuu's death! I don't care what you plan to do, but since Hyoga-san thinks you're useful, so do I. But let that girl live like a girl of her age."

The gymnast's words struck him.

He never would have thought that Homura could say something like this especially to defend Kohaku. Maybe something had changed since they'd shared a cabin together.

"I assure you that she is not the only one suffering for Senkuu-chan's death, Homura-chan," he said, staring at a spot on the floor and blinking slowly. "Kohaku has always been very strong and I admire her so much that she is entrusted with the lives of all of us. Even a 19-year-old girl can have responsibilities."

"You have to entrust your life only to yourself. Are you so smart and you don't know it?" She replied, snorting and running again to fulfill her main task.

Gen saw her leave without trying to protest.

If someone had guessed his plan, at that moment, they could have interfered and worse still hindered it. However, he needed Kohaku at the moment. They had already discussed how crucial it was for Stan to see only her, but talking to who she liked was even more important to her.

Unlike Homura, Gen actually knew well that if there was one person Kohaku was developing a crush on, it could never be someone who had strayed so far from his cabin.

When Kohaku had told him all the details about what was going on with Stan, Gen had thought it was even easier for his plan, but now seeing Kohaku approaching someone, living as a 19-year-old girl as Homura had said, gave him a certain fear.

Kohaku could have told him that she no longer wanted to serve Stan, that she had thought about it and that Senkuu would never support their plan or whatever other nonsense. 

He had to find her and hear if in the morning hours, Stan had said something useful.

Xeno would have called again that day and once again Gen would have to find a pretext, trick him with his own words to delay their confrontation.

They couldn't use Stanley as a human shield forever. With a clearer mind, Xeno would find a way to save him, take his faithful right arm back to the castle and kill them remorselessly.

Gen hoped that by instilling some curiosity in Xeno with some clues and half-sentences, he could intrigue him who would retrace his steps about the choice to exterminate them. It had worked for Shahrazād and it would have worked for them too.

Some guys from the former Tsukasa's might empire walked past him and he stopped them by asking them if they had seen Kohaku, but he only got negative answers. He also asked Kinrou who told him he only saw her early that morning in the kitchen.

This information wasn't useful to Gen, but he thanked him anyway and passed on to the next person.

He walked on the whole ship, even ending up in the sun, alone.

Then he noticed a pair of sandals abandoned in the corner. It belonged to someone from the village and unless they dived, they had no reason to leave it there. Next to it, Gen found some perfectly folded clothes that could only belong to Ukyo.

He'd already seen Ukyo swam for no reasons sometimes before, so he could do that. 

Not alone.

_Ukyo and... Kohaku?_

Homura had probably seen them together and misunderstood why Ukyo and Kohaku didn't have that kind of relationship. This calmed him down, but not entirely. 

If Kohaku had told Ukyo about the plan, he probably could have changed her mind or given her some counterproductive advice.

Homura had suggested too clearly that Kohaku must have a day off from her mission and perhaps she had been right. The girl's mood was important to make her feel comfortable.

Gen realized he was becoming what he feared most: cynical as his past himself. He had underestimated the pressure on Kohaku's shoulders, and even though it had only been a few days, she was already tired of learning how to lie and manipulate two sociopaths.

They needed a little more time, but Xeno wasn't going to be understanding forever.

It was also important that Kohaku was a good companion for Stanley, but if she was stressed out because of him, she could treat him badly and ruin the purpose of the plan.

Gen considered it.

If he had gone to bring Stanley lunch, he might have compromised something, but it was much better not to leave him on an empty stomach. He had ice cream at breakfast, as he had told Francois to give Kohaku… he was hungry and one of the things he shouldn't have allowed was that there was neglect of his needs.

However, a man didn't just need food, water and shelter. A man like Stanley also needed something else and it would also be fun to see his reaction to the absence of the girl he was flirting with.

Furthermore, Gen could also exploit this situation to convince Kohaku not to give up the plan, relying on the universal emotion known as jealousy.

He returned to the middle of the ship, looking at who was returning for the end of the lunch break.

He quickly spotted who he was looking for in the crowd. Her blond hair and curvy legs shone in the scorching sun.

"Hey, honey! I was looking for you, I have a very important mission for you!"

\---

After wiping off the ice cream, Stanley had done nothing but smoke and think about what had happened between him and Kohaku before.

He hadn't regretted saying those words to her or holding her in his arms. He had wanted to do it for some time. Ever since she had taken off her dress in front of him, he had made comments in his mind that if Xeno heard him, he would give him some death stare.

It wasn't the first time he'd been so interested in a girl right away, but she sure was a girl he couldn't have. Yet.

Unless he received direct orders to assassinate her, every obstacle made his conquest even more desirable and Stanley wasn't the type to give up that easily.

He stroked his lip with his finger. He held the cigarette with that same hand, yet another cigarette he had lit since he had fixed them, and he let the ash fall on the floor without bothering to pick it up.

_If only he hadn't stopped Kohaku earlier..._

He didn't even give his thoughts time to become images that he shook his head.

_No, he had done the right thing._

Kohaku was a girl on her first experience with a man and if he abused her, he wouldn't have fun at all. There was no honor in exploiting those who were sincere.

It was better to conquer her with his means and not be overwhelmed by blind desire like a teenager driven only by his own hormones.

It would have been satisfying for both of them.

His stomach rumbled.

Stanley looked at the door still closed and it continued to be closed.

Kohaku was late.

It wasn't like her.

In the past few days she had done nothing but stay around him, showing up on time and making up for delays on her own.

She had worried about him. She had taken care of him. 

Stanley couldn't deny that he really felt very close to her.

Also for this reason, he hadn't noticed how far they had gone. After thinking about it, Kohaku probably got scared and realized that she wasn't safe with him alone in that room, so she hadn't arrived yet.

Stanley stubbed out his cigarette when he realized he had actually let it consume without actually smoking it.

That girl was distracting him too much.

However, if Kohaku wanted to avoid him because she wasn't ready, he would have accepted it; if she just wanted to be wanted, she was doing it well.

He didn't have to let his attention wane. He was still in enemy territory and Kohaku was not on his side.

They had captured him to have an advantage over Xeno, and by giving up running from the start, as well as letting himself be caught like a chicken, Stanley felt he had favored their moves a lot.

Once the blonde arrived, he would apologize for her impetuousness and would also stop flirting with her to give her time to recover.

A game was no longer fun if there were consequences that were too dangerous to face.

But when he heard a knock on the door, his purpose faltered. He stood up to meet her as the door was opened.

Holding the tray with a steaming plate on it, there was a smiling, blond, busty girl. She was a blonde girl he didn't expect to see.

Stanley looked at her, wondering when Kohaku would come in. Probably the other girl had brought lunch and then she would be joined by Kohaku, even though he knew that the virgin princess was well capable of carrying a tray by herself.

The door was closed from the outside and Stan was sure he hadn't seen anyone else but the man in the black cloak who checked him from time to time.

"Hello, dear!"* She greeted him unaware of his conjectures, placing his lunch on the table. Then the girl approached him. But what Stan hadn't foreseen was that her hands, now free, would begin touching his arms above the shirt.

Under her fingers, Stan stiffened a bit.

"Hope you'll enjoy your food like I do,"* she whispered, lifting her face to look him in the eye and pursing her red-lacquered lips.

Unlike Kohaku, the girl spoke English and this could have saved him the effort of remembering words from another language.

"I am ..."*

 _'Not Kohaku,'*_ Stan thought, but let the girl introduce herself.

"Minami. I'm a reporter! Someone told me that you were a soldier. How wonderful! Your body looks amazing indeed!"*

"I am a pilot, actually,"* he corrected her and ignored the comment she had made while staring at his body.

If she was there, it was possible that Kohaku had told her about what had happened and that she probably wanted to check by herself who Stan was... however she was touching him a little too much, disproving the cliché that Japanese women were at least introverted and demure. At least in the old world.

She'd used a word as a reporter, and although he couldn't see her scar - he wasn't going to do the same test he'd done with Kohaku - he believed her. Unlike the first blonde, this one was much more self-confident and a daughter of her age.

But at the moment he had a bigger problem.

The only thing he saw in that room was lunch.

"You can go, you don't need to stay here. After I will leave the tray on the table or outside the door."*

"No! I'm here to keep you company! Lots of company, I'm very... available!"* She exclaimed, giggling and turning to the table and that's when Stan remembered seeing her before.

She was the girl the perverted captain was hugging when he was checking them out before he was caught.

Something clicked only when he saw her from behind, like that time. It was probably her, though he couldn't be sure. That ship was swarming with blondes.

"No, thanks,"* he replied seriously. The presence of a person close to Nanami Ryuusui didn't comfort him, quite the contrary. He had probably sent her to find out something or to bribe him. These kids really believed they could screw him. "You can go-"*

"Oh, but there's ash on the floor! Maybe it's better if I clean it up,"* she cut him off and leaned on the floor as she grabbed a rag and started scrubbing it on the ash heaps. The unlit cigarette stubs were still there waiting to be collected.

Typically when she saw him smoking, Kohaku would worry about passing him something to drop the ashes, as if to say that if he messed up, she wouldn't do anything that woman was doing.

"I can clean up myself, goodb-"*

"But do you know that smoking is bad?"* She muttered, picking up the remains of his cigarettes. "You shouldn't have a habit like that. Do you know that smokers have yellow teeth? It's a shame that a handsome boy like you ends up like this."*

Stanley made no effort to hide his annoyed expression.

Xeno could joke as much as he wanted on this subject. They had shared a lot since childhood and even Xeno knew he didn't have to say anything about his choices; he had only limited himself to muttering as usual every time he saw him light a cigarette. A stranger, on the other hand, didn't have to dare to say a single word about something that didn't interest her.

"If you're done, you can go."*

"No, I'm not done! I have to make sure you eat! I can feed you! I'm really good at taking care of men."*

"I don't doubt it, but I'm self-suf-"*

Minami grabbed him by the arm.

"Come on, it will be fun! You just have to open your mouth when the airplane approaches! You are also a pilot, who more than-"*

Stanley escaped her grasp.

Now it was too much.

She was making fun of him and he hates being made fun of.

"Blon-"* he stopped before saying the first nickname he had addressed with Kohaku. Compared to Minami, even the times he found her annoying, Kohaku had been a very pleasant company. "Ninami, you can leave. I don't need the nanny, okay? I can tell you in Japanese too, if it's easier for you to understand."*

The girl shook her head, swinging her long hair over her shoulders.

"No, you said it wrong! It's not Ninami, but Minami! M like Melody, I like Island but not with the same pronunciation, N like North, A like Author, M like-"*

"Not that I care about how you say your name,"* he said, frowning. "Pff."

Minami was like the other woman who woke up with them from petrification and spent her time hitting on him. And like them, many other girls who approached him only after seeing how much he earned or for his body. 

"Now leave me alone and tell whoever made the cigarettes to make me more that these are almost gone."

He raised his voice and saw the girl wince in surprise. However, she smiled at him and cocked her head to the side in a nod.

"You could use this moment to quit smoking. A challenge-"

Stan walked past her and opened the door, stepping aside to let her through.

Minami ran her hands clenched into fists over her eyes and began to sob. The corridor light illuminated her face and it was clear that there were no tears.

"You really are very bad! Treacherous! Tricky! A beautiful girl is here to cheer your suffering and what do you do? You take advantage of it to treat her badly! Horrible! I have never been humiliated in a worse way! I believe that the girls walk away from you, even those who just have to bring you lunch prefer to do something else rather than stay with you!" Minami finished her monologue, sniffling.

Stan had taken her words smugly, grimacing when she finished.

"I killed Senkuu, I'm not really a good person. As Xeno would say, even you troglodytes could understand that."

He had said a similar thing in different circumstances to a different person and she had given an answer that helped make him think.

_But how would Minami react?_

"Because you don't have the love of a woman! With the love of a woman for sure, you will change."

If it weren't for the hunger cramps, Stanley would have found the situation hilarious, laughing heartily.

According to her, a woman's love would change a man after years of stiff military training and everything that helped bring him to what he had become.

A good psychologist - and he had talked to many psychologists - after years of studying and working on his patients, would have found it difficult to help and heal men from their conditions, even going so far as to failure, but Minami, the favorite of the harem of the captain (and that was enough to understand how seriously she could be taken), he said that a woman's love was a powerful enough cure for him.

He rolled his eyes. Something burned inside him. He was getting more angry than he should.

_'These kids really thought that a stupid thing like love was the solution to all evil.'_

"Listen Minami with the M of Mind your fucking business, a woman's love only serves to warm a man's bed. When I stop being confined in here, I will go back to my old life, fighting for Xeno and I will be much more happy to exterminate you. I am a real man, do you know how much I care to improve for the love of a woman?!"

Minami's lower lip trembled so much that she couldn't change her sad expression to a bitter one.

Gen had told her to be unbearable and to get Stanley to talk, to provoke him, but she didn't have a fool in front of her, he had probably noticed their plan. The plan that Minami had questioned. Saying those words to Stan just seemed counterproductive.

She said no more, taking his agitation as a clear sign of farewell.

She swayed until she reached the threshold, then turned to him. If she hadn't bothered him so much, she wouldn't have been kicked out so quickly, but maybe that was for the best.

She hoped at least that he had done better with Kohaku.

"If you were a real man, you would follow what you think, not what your friend says," she replied and then with a last smile she added. "I advise you to ration the cigarettes you have left because you won't have any more until I'm the one who brings you your meals."

After telling it, Minami turned and walked away, ignoring the looks of everyone in the corridor who had witnessed the scene.

Gen had told her she was ruthless, but perhaps she went pretty hard...

… Thankfully, she wasn't going to be the one to bring him dinner.

**_♤ Symbolism in Senkuu's dream ♤_ **

The flowers Senku saw are three types, even if he didn't recognized/mentioned them:   
\- Black Roses (meaning death; hatred; despair; sorrow; mystery; danger; obsession)  
\- Purple Hyacinths (meaning sorrow; "Please forgive me")  
\- Poppies (which general meaning is Eternal sleep; oblivion; imagination).

Senkuu stepped on them and they became ash.    
The ash is both lose and a point to start (the Phoenix born from its ashes, after all).   
In a few chapter before, Senkuu said that he didn't know If Gen would forgive him for his lie so a purple flower represents in Senkuu's mind his beloved mentalist.    
The dream is like divided according to 4 natural element. The first part is about earth so flowers - grass - ash are all for representation of earth element.

The second part is the little river.    
The water is another powerful element which represent not only a new life, changing ('panta rei' is a greek espression to say that everything flows), but also represent the figure of the mother. 

The river can't mirror Senkuu's imagine for two reasons: Senkuu didn't look at a mirror in a long time now and especially he didn't have any clear memories of his mother (for this reason the river's flowing is silent too). But he could pass it easily, more easily he would do in reality.    
Then he saw his lab, his happy and safe place. There are two  ampoules and four test tubes on the table to reach a total of six objects.   
Two represents in numerology the good and the bad, the yin and the yang, two faces of the same coin. In a positive light the two is comfort like that one Senkuu found in science but in the negative light is the frustration to not reach the goal of peace (like he would feel if he couldn't do science).    
Four represents the four elements in the nature (the Earth and the Nature itself), the four seasons (The time and the weather) and in the east is also similar to the word means death, so it has a negative meaning. 

Six is the perfect number. It is also the number of the ability to reach an accord. It can represent the mother/father and also has a negative meaning. It represents in that case jealousy, bitterness and revenge.

The objects were destroyed by a shadow. Senkuu didn't know how Xeno looked like. But the shadow is clearly Xeno who ordered to kill him and in this way Senkuu gave up on science. The glass of the objects are bullets like like what tried to kill him. In fact his scar started to bleed even more, after seeing the shrapnel.   
Blood is like the fire, both are symbols of life.

The last part is more a lucid dream in which Senkuu wanted to see at least subconsciously his mother.    
So differently to the regular dream/nightmare, in lucid dreams, you realize that you are dreaming and use your memories to see what you want (in a way). So he was three because around that age, children can have some real memories and not something they think are their memories but they are only someone else anecdotes.    
Also around three years, children mind is more grown. Actually around five years there is more consciousness for the world around them but Senkuu is like a little genius so he is precocious.   
The  wooden bars around Senkuu are ten because 10 represents the end of a cycle, a pregnancy lasts 10 lunar months and this number was sacred for Pythagorics and for them 10 represented also the  celestial entities too. It can be read like the end of his childhood, the desire to move on, the end of his scientist career too or its new beginning.   
The number 10 infact is also written as X, first letter of Xeno's name. 

On Friday, when I start to write this chapter, I finally get my figure I bought so I am totally in love with it and it is a Tatsumaki - Tornado of terror figure from One punch man (my icon on twitter and here on ao3). Since I see her, I have this hc according to she is Senkuu's mother so I use her in the dream without saying her name for two reasons: it would be a HC crossover, a bit difficult to handle for the two stories but I may make it work, and also because Senkuu knew nothing about her.

Anyway, backing to the dream, Senkuu's mother sweet smell is cinnamon and caramel because one of the food Tatsumaki likes is candy apple. The other elements he remembers is her bored tone (Tatsumaki has a superior complex and a bratty attitude), her curly hair (green btw) and her pierced emerald green eyes.

Senkuu stared at his mother's eyes and according to the symbolism in the dream, this means the neediness to know better something; understand better something. Green eyes (and light colored eyes in general) have a strong spiritual component. The last imagine Senkuu has of his mother is she took between him in her arms so swiftly and kindly that he seemed like he is floating in the air. 

This happened for two reasons: a reference to Tatsumaki's esper powers and to the symbolism that Senkuu has a huge goal (get back the whole mankind) and he shouldn't give up on it (in fact this is what floating in a dream means).

But why is he dreaming/thinking about his mother? And about his father too, even if in this scene is only on his mother? 

Because it's a very traumatic event to be shot down and to fight for your life. The first thing you (well, Senkuu) do is trying to get a peaceful place and moment in your past like the childhood. As I told in a tweet some time ago, knowing background characters stories is too important to understand what they become once they grow up and what they may be someday. Childhood is very fundamental for our life stories.  The past is the past for a reason but is also what we become (and this ff is a lots about roots).    
I'm still disappointed that probably we will never see real Senkuu's parents or actually real post traumatic stress reactions or psychological descriptions, but the canon material isn't about those.

A dream can be also not so symbolic so you may read it as Senkuu want to reach the lab but he starts to bleed until he remembers when he was 3 years old.    


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ◇ Not completely satisfied but even this chapter is gone! And now to write the next one!
> 
> ♤ Source for the analysis of Senkuu's dream: Wikipedia. Wikipedia is my best friend. I spent a few days reading Wikipedia pages in italian and some random sites also for what will happen in a scene in the next chapter.


	26. Z=184 Mother Nature knows it better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The moment that Gen had been waiting for had come. If he ruined his monologue, it would compromise his entire work.

It was the hottest hours of the day, but Gen didn't care. He stood on the deck, arms crossed, hidden by his large purple robe. He had to talk to Ryuusui and he had to find Kohaku, the rest took second place, even if his head was starting to spin from being too long in the direct sunlight.

He had resolved the matter of lunch with Minami who had returned to him more nervous than ever.

Gen had feared that something had gone wrong or that she would not accept to do the other thing she had promised him, but her irritation was for what had happened, as Gen expected.

She had been as annoying as he'd told her and Stanley had only kicked her out of the room. Yet Minami was incredibly beautiful and he could hit on her even just to get information about Ryuusui with whom he had seen her. 

Gen was aware that he had taken a big risk. Stanley wasn't stupid and could have found out or worse extort something from Minami.

Gen bit his lip.

The pilot didn't do it because he was so sure he could win against them that he didn't even bother to find out the enemy's moves.

A soldier was trained to use every opportunity to gain an advantage over the other.

This was the power, after all: Prevailing and controlling other people with what you had. Stanley was surrounded by power and had exercised it often, giving orders to others. Gen shuddered, wincing as if the man had yelled at him again as he did when he entered his cabin. Stan could be threatening even as a hostage.

His personality, like Xeno's, was very charming even if corrupt.

The captivity was having an effect on him, and if Gen played his cards right, Stanley could have been the voice that Xeno would let influence his own decisions.

Gen was sure about one thing: Stanley would treat well those who did the same to him and to who he loved.

The sweet taste of insight that he was right about Stanley was accompanied by a hint of pride.

He was the best mentalist of both the old and the new world. He was proud to be able to save everyone, as someone else might have said.

Every possibility and scenario were unraveling by themselves in an orderly grid before his eyes.

He couldn't rule out that Stanley had preferred to protect his ego, offended by a girl he deemed already unsuitable for his attention, than devote energy to gathering information for the sake of Xeno's plan, the plan that he had to share even if only partially. 

What made people different were the considerations they made before acting and as such they were unknown to those who observed them from outside.

Gen had played dirty with his manipulative techniques, he knew it, but they had spurred him to go on as he had planned and hope would not abandon him even in the next stages of his plan.

On the table, at stake in that complicated game, there was not only revenge. 

If his plan failed, he would have had the crushed lives of too many people on his conscience.

He shifted position, extending his arms to his sides and tucking one over the fabric. He felt one of the bags he never separated from and that he had sewn into the inner fabric so as not to risk losing it.

It was not the first time he found himself caressing its contents. It had almost become an anti-stress gesture for him that he couldn't forget to repeat.

Kohaku had seen him doing it once and he had anticipated her question, saying he was adjusting his robe. He had spoken in a whisper to the wall, passing it off as a comment made to himself. After that, Gen was much more careful in his movements.

Anyone could have listened.

There were those who could have heard without understanding and those who could have used the most stupid of information to condemn him.

People should never be taken for granted.

Lowering his hand, Gen also felt the ring still still from the string of his underwear.

He hadn't told anyone he had taken it; it was a too delicate piece of information to be shared with anyone who wouldn't look at him with bright eyes on hearing that he had found that large amount of platinum.

Stealing wasn't his style. He smiled as he remembered grabbing the double-bottomed boxes in Xeno's office. However, he couldn't have done otherwise.

He also thought about the deck Senkuu had packed for him and left there, praying the cards weren't found yet.

Unfortunately it was like leaving a note with your name. Gen made a face. The small trace of joy was now gone.

It had been stupid.

He could pick up a sheet and shred it, throw away some life or leave the box empty. They were such easy solutions and yet in that moment his mind had decided that Xeno in checking the boxes would not open them, trusting that the man was too sure of himself to waste time feeding his paranoia.

Xeno had called himself a dictator.

Gen had heard him proclaim himself that way, as if it were normal to choose such a violent form of government as the first option; as if the military dictatorship could ever be consecrated only to science.

In his memories, even Xeno's full-bodied laugh echoed against his will, like that of an antagonist who had just won against the hero of the moment.

That sound gave Gen the chills, yet he had had to infiltrate, pretend he had changed sides, absorb every detail his body could handle.

He had done it for Senkuu, to regain his reputation as the best mentalist, what the poker game had made dangerously waver in the eyes of the Perseus crew.

The memory of his defeat - a necessary sacrifice for Senkuu's plan - also came back in his mind, ruining his moment of glory.

His Senkuu-chan was the only reason he would have put all of himself and more into whatever plan he would have to hatch again.

Coping with his _death_ had strained his nerves.

Before he could notice the movements of Ryuusui and Francois and realize that the two had found themselves caught up in a lie they would not keep for long, Gen had cried, he screamed, he had used his pain to strike terror in others, he had promised himself not to shed any more tears, he had fantasized about killing Xeno in the most painful ways possible, all to avenge Senkuu.

In his life he would never have imagined meeting a person like him and even more so, he would never have imagined that he would go so far just for his own good. Gen had realized more than ever that he was selfish, that he wanted to be save and sound and, although before he thought there was nothing wrong, now he could not stop thinking that he actually wanted the good of another person too.

However, he couldn't be selfish, if he gave up his happiness for another person.

As soon as he met Senkuu, he said that he didn't care who the winner was, the only thing that mattered was that he was sitting in the chariot of whoever won.

The image of Xeno smiling triumphantly on a bloodstained throne made his empty stomach contract and sweat even more.

The only person Gen would support was Senkuu, not a more violent and heartless version of him.

He took a deep breath and stared at the cabin door waiting for it to open. Ryuusui would be out in moments, his duties as captain never ended and Gen knew well what to make him do that afternoon.

It was time.

A phase of the plan had ended, a new one had begun.

Luck was important when facing an unknown reality, but it wasn't the only factor or the one that needed to be referred to.

Only a fool would have relied on something he could not control, only an arrogant man would underestimate his surroundings.

\---

The sun's rays colored the sparse grass yellow a few meters away from them, leaving them in the shade. Or maybe it was Kohaku and Ukyo who moved without realizing it.

Both were left alone still sitting there after the boy had calmed down. Ukyo had talked a lot, relaxing minute by minute.

Homura had been nasty in saying that he didn't speak because he wasn't interesting; often people didn't have ears ready to listen to them, even if they knew what to say.

While Ukyo's sweet voice kept her company, Kohaku found herself smiling, or looking down and drawing confused shapes on the ground with her fingertips, blushing or opening her mouth wide. She got up and walked on the tiny piece of land as well as if there were no other people besides the trees.

She had felt embarrassed for the younger version of Ukyo, the protagonist of his most disastrous memories so much, so that she forgot that she too had reasons to feel in that state.

Each story got a different answer from her and gave her more attention in observing who was telling the truth.

Ukyo had chosen to follow Senkuu to no longer feel the pain he felt when he lost his person, to no longer be afraid.

Senkuu, although he didn't like to talk about feelings, had led his world towards what seemed to be a peaceful scenario, close to everyone's needs.

His ability to forgive was what made him so trustworthy.

Ukyo had done the same in his life, without seeking recognition or devoting hatred to others.

She thought back to Xeno's angry voice or how she herself treated people with whom she felt she shared very little.

Her stomach contracted.

She hadn't had breakfast and had also skipped lunch. The reason for that feeling was certainly hunger, but not only that. 

The thought of comparing herself to him, of being able to be closer to Xeno than to Senkuu in mentality made her guts stir.

_What made Xeno different from someone who had tried to kill her or Senkuu or Gen and now they were by their side?_

Magma had planned to win the tournament just to take the village and ruin the little time her sister Ruri had, he had planted a spear - or tried - in Gen's chest with no remorse.

Yet Magma had changed, he was still stupid, but he had gladly accepted Senkuu and the realm of science, working for them.

_'Could Xeno have changed too? He was a scientist too, perhaps he would have let himself be convinced more easily…'_

But Kohaku, who was so busy thinking about Xeno, ended up remembering Stan's face when hope made her imagine the happy ending she wanted.

If Stanley had been on their side, it would have been easier and… she would have had no reason to hold back.

She widened her eyes and bent her legs as if it were enough to defend herself from her own thoughts that the advice of Homura and Ukyo had mixed.

She only knew that she wanted to see him, that Stan was her obsession and as such even ignoring him, it wouldn't go away.

Or maybe pretending she never met him would remove the root of the problem.

Ukyo had told her to leave him from the moment she realized it wasn't going to work, but she was confused.

She knew that at Stan's touch the first word she wanted to say was _'more'_ and not _'stop'_.

"How do you know it's not just physical with who you like? What's the difference between love and desire?" Kohaku cut him off.

It had been rude of her, but it was a few minutes that Ukyo's words had merged with her own thoughts until they faded into the background.

Ukyo fell silent and sat down a meter away from her after checking if the sheets had dried. He planned to carry them folded so that he could spare the others the task.

Kohaku waited for his answer, tapping her foot on the grass.

Minami had talked to her about desire and when she had had that chat with her, she seemed more like she wanted to make fun of her rather than explain something that might be useful. She also talked to Ruri every day and imagining that Minami could reveal her torment to her older sister made her feel more ashamed than when young Ukyo accidentally called her teacher mom.

"Sorry, I didn't have to ask you," she added in a whisper as she looked back at him. Ukyo had been very kind and she had taken advantage of his availability to get answers.

"No, on the contrary, ask me what you want, I can't give you an objective answer, but... love is one of those subjects of which you don't have the absolute truth."

"Any kind of answer will be fine. I'm pretty confused at the moment and you know... you're someone who knows what he's saying, as well as listening carefully... unlike me."

Ukyo shook his head.

"You can't imagine how good was for me to talk to you... and if we had been to Japan, even swimming with you... I'm starting to think that Homura's comment about the river isn't so wrong," he chuckled, pointing with a quick nod of his chin the water that looked more greenish than before.

Kohaku made a face at the thought that she really jumped in there and turned her attention to Ukyo.

"I'm not very good with relationships or these things a couple does... but if you prefer not to answer me, that's okay, don't worry!"

Ukyo raised his hands.

"No, no! Don't think that because..." he broke off and settled himself better on the ground. "I have a hard time talking about my past… It's a story that I haven't told anyone and sometimes I still think about it... Every day, actually..."

Kohaku opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. Nothing would have lived up to what had happened.

"That doesn't mean I don't want to fall in love again, or want to help other people understand each other better. Refusing to go on when you lose someone you love is like making them die a second time."

Kohaku nodded.

"It's easy to confuse desire with love because they belong together. Love is what you feel for a man, for a woman, for your friends, for your family, for your favorite dish or for your daggers... you can also love animals, other objects... what changes is not the intensity, but your planning. You can find one, two or all these forms of love in your life and they will all be intense, but with one you will want to feel it only physically and build a family."

Kohaku wanted to say she understood but she only shrugged.

Ukyo smiled shyly. His explanation had not been the best. He had been talking for hours and his tiredness was taking over.

"Love is felt with the body, heart and mind. If it is only with the body, it is desire, curiosity for sex, instinct. If it is only the heart that you feel it, it is platonic love, affection, friendship, something pure or sheer naivety. If the mind is in love, it is affinity, alchemy and in some cases also convenience. If you only feel love with a part of you, it may be non-logical, but love makes sense because we need it to go on. If you don't love - in any sense, even just yourself - you feel incomplete."

"So if I love someone with body, mind and heart... is it true love?"

"No, every form is true love because you have chosen to try it. Even if only for a few hours, it is yours, they cannot take it away from you."

Kohaku tried to memorize every single word.

"I think when you love someone with body, mind and heart and they love you the same way... you will have someone to share your life with. Problems will be there, even someone like me knows that you don't live on love alone. But you'll have someone who could help you understand the world and sometimes it's really hard to understand it. Loneliness scares me and scares everyone… maybe more than death itself."

"I'm not afraid of death. I'm not afraid to be alone," Kohaku ruled, frowning and wrinkling her nose. She ignored the feeling of annoyance she was experiencing.

Ukyo stretched out again, folding his arms to support his head. He closed his eyes not to look at the sun even though he could only see red behind the lids.

"I don't know how to say it without sounding indelicate, but it isn't. You are not afraid of death because you aren't able to accept Senkuu's death and you probably don't think about death yet, although we say this word every day. You are not afraid to be alone because you've been alone all this time. They told me how long ago you collected water every day for your sister, the priestess. The girls considered you a tomboy, the boys were afraid of you. Your father didn't understand why you were so obstinate yet you saved the li- "

Kohaku felt her lower lip tremble.

"Senkuu did it. Not me," she corrected him harshly.

"He wouldn't have been in time if you hadn't carried gallons of water for her. Every little thing done with love has great effects. Pay attention to what you do with your heart."

"Senkuu did so much for the village and he didn't do it following the heart, but the head," she said, determined to contradict him as if a competition had begun between them on the best argument.

She wasn't afraid of anything.

"To apply his scientific knowledge he used his mind, of course, and also to get what he wanted he used his logic. People themselves know they are selfish and with every request for help, they already prepare a reward. However Senkuu used his heart more often than he said he would. The fact that all of us, including people who would harm him, cry for him is proof of this."

"Senkuu was good and only bad things happened to him, there is no justice," Kohaku thought aloud, those words had taken shape several times in her head, but it was the first time she had the courage to tell someone.

The concept of justice was what escaped her logic most.

Before Senkuu, she thought that if one person tried to kill another one deserved death too, instead he had shown her another option: forgiveness.

"I am no one to say what justice is, but I think that true justice cannot be done by men," he replied as a gust of wind made his hair fall again before his eyes. Over time it had grown even though no one had noticed as he always hid them from his floppy hat. "Skipping lunch wasn't a brilliant idea..." he considered and also Kohaku agreed.

The girl didn't insist on getting anything else from him.

Apparently, not only love had no absolute answer.

\---

Ryuusui Nanami had a mission: to find out when Gen would carry out his plan against Xeno.

He would never admit it, but when he talked to Gen he tended to lose in the confrontation. He would have liked the talent of the mentalist all to himself and above all, he would have preferred not to lose out every time.

They weren't going to talk about dragos this time, so his wallet wasn't going to get empty, but he felt that Gen would seek some other payment for his time.

Ryuusui had decided to leave Senkuu only when he was sure that the guy had fallen asleep peacefully without having any more nightmares. However, without realizing it, Ryuusui fell asleep in turn, resting next to him.

Francois, who in the meantime had come in to take the tray and the empty plates from their lunch, hadn't woken him up and he was more than grateful.

Even the captains - Ryuusui disagreed - needed to sleep and rest.

And here was the Mentalist, standing on the deck, busy looking ahead, his arms folded in the sleeves of his robe.

Ryuusui touched the brim of his hat, ignoring the weight of Kohaku's daggers against his waist. His instincts were screaming at him that Gen was waiting for him, that he too had something to tell him.

He continued to stare at his face's graceful features in a sad expression.

As a captain, he should have been closer to Gen; he had witnessed Senkuu's pain and how much the wound had marked him, but he had done nothing to comfort Senkuu's beloved mentalist.

Gen had received no more than a bullet in the chest, at least not literally.

Finding out that one of the most important people to him was dead was what no one deserved.

It was then that Gen turned around and was able to see him.

Ryuusui had played hard to get.

While waiting for him to leave, Gen had been busy gathering information for the plan and had also seen Kohaku and Ukyo returning to the ship.

He had stopped the girl only to tell her she shouldn't have gone to Stan's for dinner, as he needed her for her training.

From her expressions, Gen understood that she wanted to protest his ban, but Kohaku just accepted it without asking questions.

Gen thought it was strange, unlike her.

Kohaku was a strong girl who didn't accept the choices of others for herself but she had taken their revenge really seriously, so much so that she didn't argue and went to the kitchen without saying anything else.

_'It's a bad sign. Probably Ukyo had convinced her to quit the plan or her thirst for revenge has waned.'_

His head didn't stop working on facts or guesses, but he had to move as calmly as a cat that had just staked its prey.

"Ryuusui-chan!" He exclaimed joyfully, waving a hand. Talking to Ryuusui took precedence. His role would be central to the plan and above all to confirm what he wanted to hear. "The heat is no longer as annoying as the first few days, is it?"

Ryuusui nodded and joined him, leaning on the railing.

"You have too many layers of fabric on you, I'm surprised you don't feel it even more."

"Ryuusui-chan, if you ask me to undress, it almost seems like you want to seduce me," he muttered with a smile that might have seemed mischievous to an inexperienced eye. Each person to be approached had to be interested in what they listened to, in what was proposed to them, and Ryuusui was the greediest man in the world, an easy subject to circumvent, after all his interests were vast. "I know from experience that when a man asks you for such a thing it is because he wants something in return. Considering that you are the most desired man in the new world and you can have anyone and not just a mentalist like me... what do you have to ask me?"

Anticipating one's opponent's moves wasn't only necessary in battle, it could also have saved life and Gen had to save himself.

Ryuusui looked away.

His fears hadn't waited long to come true. He wasn't the type to give up and admit defeat, but only by talking about the weather Gen did understand what he wanted.

Gen seemed almost to be able to read his mind. Ryuusui liked it. If only he had taught him how to do it, he would have used this talent to be invincible, especially when the focus of the negotiations was money.

"I love women. I love men and I love you too, Gen. Your talent wins me over every time I see it in action."

Gen leaned back against the railing and turned to him. The near setting sun illuminated his gray eyes, leaving part of his face in the dark.

Instead of answering, he remained silent, looking him in the eye. Lips contracted into an emotionless smile.

The wind blew Ryuusui's cloak which pushed on his hips and emphasized the silhouette of the daggers he had with him.

"My talent?" Gen repeated in surprise, slightly lowering his gaze before refocusing on him. "But no, I'm just a guy trying to live a quiet life with what little he has... I'm not as strong as you, but I fight - in my own way - to honor Senkuu-chan's memory."

Ryuusui's lips parted in a flat line. He needed to choose his words well so as not to betray his secret.

"Senkuu would be proud of so much devotion to him. You stopped crying and wasted no time planning your revenge against Xeno. You are leading the crew with a broken heart. If you had ordered them to attack Xeno's palace, they would have done it without protest."

"Attacking Xeno would mean accepting to be killed at the hands of a man who is convinced he can save the world with his mere presence. I don't want this for everyone who has put their trust in me, I don't want to see Senkuu-chan in hell."

"Mozu said that praying to the gods, since those who follow the customs of the village insisted on doing it - it was useless. Senkuu's soul was already safe because he was kindhearted."

_'Of course, it was useless,'_ Gen thought, _'Senkuu-chan was still alive.'_

He smiled at his sentence, trying to see a bright side in it. Even Mozu had managed to accept Senkuu.

"It almost seems like Senkuu-chan is still among us, don't you think?" He finally replied, giving him a smile in which he showed off his canines. He could swear he saw Ryuusui's face get wet with the first drops of sweat for fear of having been discovered.

"And he will do it until we remember what he did and how he was. The perfect leader, a God for this new world, who had some unethical and questionable but human ideas. How many things I didn't tell him..."

Ryuusui touched the brim of his hat again, playing with it not to look him in the face.

Never as in that moment would he have wanted to tell the truth.

"Ge-"

"Ryuusui-chan..."

They said at the same time, turning back to look.

"You first," he whispered, slightly bowing his head as if to direct him along a path that only one person can walk, giving way.

"Ryuusui-chan, you know that I am working out and putting this plan into action and the time has come when I need you. You have an important role and without that we probably could not return safely to Japan."

Ryuusui squared his shoulders but continued to stare at him with a cautious expression. Whatever it was he would not back down, but he would certainly report it to Senkuu.

"You will go to Stanley Snyder's cabin and talk to him for a while. You will tell him we want to buy him. You will offer him women, money, men, titles, riches... anything to betray Xeno. He won't accept anything, but that's what he expects. You will also tell him that he has caught your attention, you will flirt with him, you will do anything to look like the Latin lover I told him about. When he asks you a specific question, try not to say anything incriminating. Go to the kitchen first though, there it's two beers in the fridge. I think he has a preference for blondes and a cold beer is always a comfort for men."

"You said he will never accept but also that it is what he expects... I understand! You want to confirm your lies and maybe he may even have changed his mind after seeing how we treat him with care!"

Gen pressed his lips together. As always Ryuusui had not looked beyond his words.

"Sure, Ryuusui-chan! You're always so witty!" Instead he exclaimed, exposing his palms. "Don't forget to mention Minami-chan though as he preferred to kick her out of the room and avoid talking about Kohaku-chan, he doesn't have to know about her yet. Ah, more imp-"

"Did he kick Minami out of the room? Why? He doesn't treat women like that!" Ryuusui protested. "What did he do to her?"

Gen dismissed his questions with a wave of his hand.

"He did what I needed and Minami didn't feel bad either, but if you want, you can take her with you when you talk to him, but you should act like a man obsessed with women and sex."

Ryuusui felt trapped. 

He had felt trapped since Gen's first sentence but now, simply having given him the word before, he found himself in his service without even having received a clue about his plan.

"Ah, Kohaku-chan... today she needed a few free hours... maybe I gave so many responsibilities to that lovely girl..."

His voice sounded tired.

"The other night I saw her talking to Minami," Ryuusui reflected. "I understand women well and she seemed upset. I didn't do anything to help her because she left quickly and then I didn't have a chance to talk to her... is your plan something dangerous?"

Gen tried not to laugh.

They were against a sociopath, a gun lover who wanted to dominate the world as a dictator. It was obvious that they would have to take risks and not only plans that employed the use of science - as Senkuu would do - could be dangerous.

The moment that Gen had been waiting for had come. If he ruined his monologue, it would compromise his entire work.

"Ryuusui-chan, I care a lot about Kohaku-chan. She is a very nice girl with a strong personality. She has excellent skills and of all the people I know, she is the first - if not the only - that I thought of when I arrived at the design of my most ambitious plan. To save this ship and its crew. To avenge Senkuu-chan and to take away from Xeno everything he has... with his own hands. All this gave me the strength to involve her and train her, fighting against time to make these fantasies come true."

Ryuusui listened attentively. He didn't even try to interrupt him.

"You ask me if what I thought is dangerous... Ryuusui-chan, danger has been present in people's lives for as long as they can remember. Without it, they wouldn't grow... Kohaku needs to blossom and I like to think it will now, taking only the best out of this experience... but part of me fears that there won't actually be a happy ending..."

"What do you mean?"

It was then that Gen put his hands close to his kimono. He spread the edges of the fabric and touched the inside pocket. Against his palm he felt the shape of the test tube he had made with such dedication. A stoic expression - he did not laugh, he did not cry, he did not make faces, and he did not even want to laugh at his friend anymore - made his face ten years old. 

Ryuusui watched him, noticing his darker and darker circles, probably Gen hadn't slept well since he had heard of Senkuu's death from the voice of those who had decided it. However, his attention was caught by the test tube that Gen had pulled out in front of his eyes. The mentalist, however, didn't meet his gaze.

"If anything should happen to Kohaku-chan and the people who risk their lives every second more and more, I..." he said as he lifted the vial above his head. The lazy rays of sunlight, reflecting off the surface of the water and Gen's back, hit the glass of the test tube and passed through the liquid that filled it.

"One of the most beautiful garden plants is also the most poisonous. Leaves, trunk, seeds, flowers, every single part of it can be toxic to humans and animals... nature doesn't need human beings although we insist on believing the opposite, as if we could ever fight against Mother Nature… remember when I was absent from the village for a couple of days? When did I have a fever?"

Ryuusui's gaze was lost in the void, his breath was caught in his throat. He was trying to absorb every word of the Mentalist, but his voice was faster than the movements of his mouth.

He nodded because he needed to know more.

"It was because I was busy producing this. Oleander poison, sweetened by some sweet berries, unlike the other very bitter plant. Most cases of poisoning with the oleander are suicides."

Ryuusui's eyes widened. He shook his hand around the railing until his knuckles turned white.

"They say that a single Oleander leaf can kill a child. Animals stay away from it, because it can kill them too. Especially the herbivores that nature itself has given them enough weed. There have also been cases of involuntary poisoning because of the honey produced by bees that had fed on the nectar of these flowers. Imagine how powerful this poison is, which groups together every part of the Oleander."

Ryuusui stared at the test tube as if fearing it would be emptied at any moment. Gen's wide eyes didn't reassure him at all. He had to stop it, he had to do it somehow.

"Once ingested and absorbed by the stomach, the poison causes excruciating pain, heart problems, irregular heartbeat, diarrhea, vomiting, dizziness, coma... It does not take effect immediately, it takes more than 24 hours*, during which the person suffers and suffers and suffers... to the point of wanting to die."

His voice trailed off. Gen's fingers swirled the test tube, casting its glitter on the ship's floor in the middle of its shadow. Ryuusui was in a cold sweat looking at him.

"Do you think that Oleander is also used to cure more ills than it causes but in the hands of an inexperienced person like me... with these doses... it's let-"

"What if there is no need for this revenge and your plan?" Ryuusui interrupts him without taking his eyes off the vial. "In a hypothetical scenario... I mean," he corrected himself. "In a world where the past would have turned out differently and Senkuu would have survived... you wouldn't have needed revenge, would you?"

Gen wanted to roll his eyes. 

_Did he really want to make fun of a Mentalist like him?_ _Senkuu would not have survived,_ ** _Senkuu had survived_** _. In this and any other scenario.'_

It took more effort to control his mouth.

 _'Before what I had imagined,'_ Gen commented in mind. Once again he tried not to smile, once again he suppressed the painful feeling of having betrayed his friend.

With his free hand, Gen stroked the captain's cheek, but that touch was nothing reassuring.

_'One more small step and it would go as he needed it to go.'_

"Ryuusui-chan... I already said: I will do whatever it takes with the consequences that I am willing to pay. My revenge is not only for what they did to Senkuu-chan, but also to protect us. And I am ready to pay everything to avoid Xeno's rise to power worldwide. Any price to avoid more suffering in Kohaku because of me.

Ryuusui's hands found Gen's until they secured their grip around the vial. He tore it from his palm and looked at it better although he couldn't see much. He knew it was dangerous, especially if the person handling it was this obscure version of Gen.

"I'll keep this," he informed him and didn't even wait for him to answer. He slipped it safely into his pocket, under his cloak.

Gen turned away quickly. He just wanted to breathe a deep sigh of relief, but he couldn't help but look offended.

He lifted his nose in the air and snorted.

"Ryuusui-chan... you really don't trust me... but luckily I trust you," he said and it wasn't a lie. Gen truly trusted Senkuu for giving him his ultimate weapon. "Please just don't break it or throw it away. The poison would compromise the environment and not even another 3700 years could purify it again."

"I won't," he finally agreed.

"Thank you... what did you mean earlier when we spoke at the same time?"

Ryuusui remembered it, but this time he would speak quickly.

"I need you to tell me what you intend to do against Xeno, what Kohaku has to do with it, and when you want to take action."

Gen's eyes widened after a few seconds.

"I already had in mind to tell you what we're doing," he assured him with a smile. It was better to repeat what would happen. Ryuusui would go to Stanley and he would talk to Senkuu in the meantime. He should have prevented them from seeing each other earlier. If Ryuusui shared what he understood about poison, Senkuu would have meddled. "Now I'll walk you to the kitchen and in the meantime I'll give you some other pointers on what to say and not to Stan... then tonight I'll tell you my plan. Without you, it's impossible."

"Us?"

Gen's heart skipped a beat. He had spoken in the plural while only one name had resonated in his mind.

"Ah, do you want to talk to Francois too?"

Gen nodded.

Providing an advantage for his opponent was a natural move for Ryuusui, but this time Stanley was grateful.

"Francois is a very talented person, I would be a fool, if I didn't involve them..." he reflected aloud. It was true, he needed to talk to them too. "Come on Ryuusui-chan, Stanley-chan is waiting for you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some notes from last and this chapter:
> 
> ♧ Some source for the Oleander part... except the part with * because it's true that after 24 hours you survived but idk if the poison took 24 hours ://
> 
> 1) [Medical uses and poisons of Oleander](https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-789/oleander)
> 
> 2) [What is the Oleander](https://adventure.howstuffworks.com/top-5-poisonous-plants10.htm)
> 
> ◇ I forget to tell a note about Shahrazād in the last chapter. I wrote like that according to Gen's choice to tell to Xeno some informations to catch his interest like Shahrazād did in "The Thousand and one Night", one of the most famous arabic literature work. In fact Shahrazād kept tell a story and interrupted to the best part so the sultan who may save her or kill her kept her alive to know more. Xeno is a science man and he craved for informations. Gen knew it well and used this fact in his favor.


	27. Z=185 The Key of everything is emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Then he took Ryuusui's hat and put it on his head, quickly arranging his shiny blonde hair as well.
> 
> "It is impossible not to fall in love with you, dear Captain Ryuusui. Bewitch him with your charm."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter, sorry for the waiting! Hope to finish this part of the story soon because in almost 30 chapter, I still can't reach the climax :( btw thank you so much for reading, for the last chapter in those days there were more views and I hope everyone is enjoying it! I write for me but also interact with people makes me happy ♡ so here the chapter!

"So... I have to tell him we want him to join our side," Ryuusui summed up everything Gen had told him in one sentence... but it was wrong.

The mentalist's plan was even more subtle and the only flaw he had was that Stanley would never listen to him. 

Gen was wrong, he had to send Minami to make such an important speech.

Gen grabbed both his own wrists and massaged them. He was exaggerating.

Ryuusui was a spontaneous and very capable boy when it came to navigation, but he had a big flaw: he couldn't lie.

"Ryuusui-chan... Stan-chan thinks you're a pervert who can't keep it in your pants, that you want to conceive the first child of the new world, that any man and woman is yours."

"I never thought that anyone who has a child now would be the parent of Stone World's first child… extraordinary!"

A plastic smile took possession of the lips of Gen who narrowed his eyes to make his expression more friendly but without success. He was tired now and couldn't even control his emotions.

"You can go and find your future child's mother later," he interrupted. "Now the important thing is that you convey to Stan the idea that you can do anything, but at the same time you reassure him, so as not to call yourself dangerous. If he really felt in danger, he would attack, but if he weren't aware of it, he would soak in his pot like a good frog. Stan, at least from what I understand, is different from Xeno. Xeno would probably take your offer if it is profitable enough for him."

Ryuusui adjusted his hat and went beyond him when they reached the kitchen. Of everything he had said, even though Ryuusui had heard every word, he didn't know what to answer.

Then he turned to him as if seized by sudden illumination.

"Would Xeno betray Stan? It seems strange to me."

Gen briefly nodded to Francois and Kirisame who were already preparing dinner. According to the data he had gathered, Francois had not left the kitchen, so Senkuu had been alone with Ryuusui that afternoon.

Probably after dinner, Francois would drop by and Gen needed to talk to them before that. They had probably almost finished cooking and if they had entered Senkuu's cabin before him, Gen would not have been able to speak to Senkuu properly.

"I never mentioned a betrayal," he pronounced almost as if he was offended by Ryuusui's remark. "I talked about advantage. If Xeno received a favorable offer, he would accept and Stanley would observe in silence as long as it is in their favor. It is a kind of tacit pact. Stanley and Xeno are indivisible and are convinced that they are united in a world against them. You have certainly observed the sky at night, dear Ryuusui…," he supposed, but the captain remained silent, unable to understand why he had changed the subject. "The stars seem to protect the moon that continues its life without ever touching them. But the stars shine with their own light, the moon reflects it. And when there are clouds, nothing can be seen in the sky, regardless of who can illuminate or not, Ryuusui-chan."

Ryuusui raised a hand to check if Gen had a fever, as he had done with Senkuu for the past few days. First the deadly poison he had secretly extracted to commit suicide, then the frog and the pot, the romanticization of the night sky while talking about two killers... he was aware that perhaps Gen would have been better off telling the truth, at least not to make him stress in that way. He could never tell Senkuu that his mentalist went insane from the pain of his death.

However, he met Francois's gaze for a split second and he changed his mind, pretending to want to take off his hat and place it on the nearest table.

"Go on..." he urged Gen even though it sounded more like a request for help. He first had to accept that there was logic in his examples.

The Mentalist smiled at him and resumed his speech.

"Ryuusui-chan, you are the greediest man in the world and I have always liked that about you. Both you and Francois are very close and have sought each other as soon as you reopened your eyes from your long sleep. Xeno and Stanley did it too probably. But each of us is greedy in his own way, each of us wants to save themselves. If a mother had to choose who to save from certain death between her husband and her son, she would choose her son without even thinking about it because he is a part of her. Love doesn't need to have the same blood in the veins to exist. And this is the case with Xeno and Stanley. They live in their own version of the world and as such anything that threatens their peace must be eliminated, even if it is only them to cause trouble."

Ryuusui opened his mouth, but closed it quickly. He couldn't point out that his words didn't make sense yet.

The memory of seeing Senkuu tremble in his sleep as he cried and called his father and mother was enough to disprove Gen, but he didn't want to share something so intimate about the other boy without his permission, even he was talking with Gen.

"I remind you not to mention Kohaku and in case that happens, just tell him that she is untouchable, that you don't have the honor of being hers," Gen advised him.

Even earlier Gen had said not to talk about Kohaku even though she was the only one to spend time with Stan.

"Why?"

The mentalist couldn't avoid using Ryuusui for this part of the plan. After all, he was the one who had intrigued Xeno and Stanley the most after Senkuu or rather Taiju, since Gen had lied to them.

"Soon my words will be clearer to you, Ryuusui-chan. For now, we can't go any further, you have to go. Stanley must see you as an easy enemy to take down in case he is in danger," Gen cut him short and with a last smile handed him the beers that Francois had recovered. "You will only be yourself in his company, you will avoid talking about compromising things. You are a strategist, I am sure I can rely on the right person to save Perseus and its crew."

Then he took Ryuusui's hat and put it on his head, quickly arranging his shiny blonde hair as well.

"It is impossible not to fall in love with you, dear Captain Ryuusui. Bewitch him with your charm."

After a few minutes that Ryuusui's footsteps had softened until they disappeared, Francois cleared their throat.

"Gen-sama... is there anything I can do for you?"

The mentalist was not surprised to see that his own moves had been predicted for once, also because Francois was able to fulfill the wishes of others even before understanding what they wanted by themselves.

"Francois-chan, yes, I need to talk to you..."

\---

Even with a full stomach, Kohaku was restless.

Gen liquidated her, simply explained to her that she shouldn't go to Stan.

She hadn't even had time to tell him she wanted to not be part of his plan anymore.

Kohaku bit her lip, sitting in a corner of the ship to put her sandals on but she got up in less than a minute again.

It was what she really wanted, not to go back to that room, not to face the truth.

Yet she didn't like that Gen had changed his mind. Who had already gone to Stanley's? Probably a woman. 

Gen would also have fun picking another one to send to Stan. Who would go to him for dinner? Still the same person? A different one? Would Stanley act with this girl like he did with her?

_'Yes, he was a man after all. Men had needs, Homura said, and Gen knew this all too well to ignore this information to his advantage.'_

However Kohaku had no right to feel left out. It took her a while to figure it out, blinded by her own disastrous thoughts.

Gen hadn't excluded her from the plan - _'after all the effort she was going through to learn curtsey, that rat had even tried to do it!'_ \- but he had decided only she shouldn't have seen Stanley for that night. 

She had more time to devote to other things, to reflect on what Ukyo had told her, for example, to understand what she really wanted.

At the moment, she would have preferred that all the hostages were back at the castle, away from their ship, and they were in some other corner of the world, working on Senkuu's absurd plans.

She would have much preferred that Senkuu was still with them, that Ruri had left the village with her, that Stanley wasn't a killer.

Eventually her thoughts always revolved around the same people, names she uttered without realizing it in her own head. People she cared about.

She got up off the ground again and froze as she saw Ryuusui and Gen walk into the kitchen. _'Was it him that Gen had sent and that he would be sending to Stanley shortly?'_

Whatever his choice was she shouldn't have cared, yet she wanted to hear what they were saying.

But she gave up on following them.

In the kitchen she had seen Francois and Kirisame cooking and they weren't the only ones there. Many people thronged that room; especially those looking for a snack.

She was so tense that when someone touched her on the shoulder, she jumped and pulled her leg back to kick the stranger.

"I did not mean to scare you!" Yuzuriha squeaked and Kohaku was even more surprised than her to see the girl there. 

After Senkuu's death, Yuzuriha had locked herself in a booth used as a tailoring workshop and never went out. She had sewn a lot of clothes, sails, sheets, the lining of Senkuu's coffin and since that morning, even the dress that Gen had commissioned for Kohaku.

With her there were often Nikki and Taiju, who had completely shut down after discovering that he had lost his best friend. He was no longer in his good mood, but he was ready to help Yuzuriha as best he could.

Kohaku knew about it indirectly but still it broke her heart to imagine a guy like Taiju suffering for Senkuu, although she did it in silence too, trying not to ruin Gen's plan.

"If you're free now, I'd like you to try on the dress, to make sure it fits you, in case your measurements have changed in these weeks. Gen said it's a dress for an important occasion."

Kohaku nodded.

"Thanks, Yuzuriha, but I just jumped into the river and I'd ruin the fabric. Maybe I can try it on tomorrow?" She asked, but noticing the disappointment on her face, she added: "You worked so hard, a whole dress already ready... you did a great job! You deserve a little rest."

It was Yuzuriha's turn to nod.

"It's not long, in fact I would have liked to call you just to let you try it finished, but I thought it would be better to make sure it was perfect."

"Thank you very much, Yuzuriha!" Kohaku exclaimed softly... or so she would like to appear like that. Gen had told her that one of the best tricks for lying was that the first person to believe in what she wanted to say was herself, so she had to not think it was a lie at all. Not that Kohaku didn't think Yuzuriha was very good, quite the opposite. Her lie was that she didn't want to go there at that moment, she was also at rest and it was better that she exploited it, besides being true the part of the river. "Tomorrow when I wake up, I'll pass by you, I'm sure it's already perfect."

"I must be honest, I used an old model but I've enriched it as Gen asked. You will look like a real queen."

Kohaku wanted to laugh at that term. She imagined Stan calling her the virgin queen and almost gave in.

"Thank you, Yuzuriha."

"Do you have to go to the prisoner?" She asked her and Kohaku widened her eyes. The other girl, however, did not notice it and continued. "I have to get dinner for me and Taiju. Nikki has gone on break and probably won't be able to bring dinner to Max and Carlos... Ukyo has just returned, but he is alone down there besides Tsukasa who is guarding both Luna and the killer of Senkuu-kun."

If she got off, she would do something about the plan, and after all, Gen said she didn't have to go to Stan, he didn't talk about the other prisoners.

"Sure, I'll take care of it! No problem!"

\---

Gen and Francois had moved away from the kitchen, and the mentalist was afraid they were too close to Senkuu's cabin.

They needed privacy to talk, but if Francois walked into that room, Gen might have to give up to meet Senkuu.

For the first time, fear kept him company as he thought about his meeting with the young scientist.

Seeing him again seemed almost his fantasy; perhaps it was true that he was dead, that he was only deluding himself.

He only had one way to understand it: to manipulate Francois.

"Gen-sama, I guess if you asked me to leave the kitchen now it's to tell me something important."

Gen smiled at the butler.

"Yes, Francois-chan… I'll be brief. Ryuusui-chan wanted to talk to me and said something that struck me, I thought it was his joke, but he's not the type. He could never make fun of me about something like that serious. I cried a lot for him and knowing this gave me new hope."

Francois nodded, but didn't answer him.

"Ryuusui-chan really told me everything, there is no need to keep this secret anymore."

Francois continued to look at him, tilting their head slightly to the side. The last rays of the sun illuminated their curly hair as if it were made in liquid bronze. Their usual expression didn't seem ready to betray their emotions, although Gen hoped for it.

"Francois-chan, I want to thank you for your role, for being close to him and for taking care of him," Gen added again, but Francois was not responding to his statement.

It wasn't going as he had expected.

Then he was silent, waiting for Francois to reply, but continued to look at him in silence.

Gen knew what he was doing. He looked into their eyes, but the butler didn't look away at all, as if they was prepared to face him.

He cleared his throat before trying again.

"Francois-chan... you know what I'm referring to..."

Francois smiled politely and finally spoke.

"Gen-sama, the first day I started working for the Nanami family something unusual happened. Ryuusui-sama was too young to remember, but a woman tried to kidnap him. She was wearing the same uniform as the other maids and, since she had probably spied on the family for a while and saw that I had just arrived, thought I would trust her. Nobody could imagine that just after being hired, I had memorized each person's face, names and life story who lived under the roof of the Nanami mansion. That woman used the same phrases as you, saying that I knew that Ryuusui-sama needed to change company every two hours to learn how to relate to more different people, but I not only managed to lock her into one room until the police arrived, but Ryuusui-sama didn't even notice that I was fighting for him."

Gen blanched and wiped the palms of his sweaty hands against his robe.

"So, Gen-sama, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I can quickly understand who is lying and who is trying to deceive me. Whatever you are trying to make me confess, you better tell yourself."

Asagiri Gen, the best mentalist in Japan, in the new and in the old world, could not help but look down and accept defeat. Francois had on their side the experience and weight of their obligation to always be attentive to Ryuusui's needs.

Gen looked around and only when he was sure no one was listening he answered them.

"Francois-chan, you're right. I've stolen too much time from you already... but I needed to hear it from someone and, although Ryuusui-chan came very close, he didn't admit that Senkuu is still alive."

"It is clearly not dangerous that this information has reached you. And I expected it to happen, after all, you are the person closest to Senkuu-sama," Francois confirmed what Gen had already thought about. "I guess it's a bit peculiar to see who you thought you lost forever and realize that you need to protect them because you don't want a similar situation to happen again, but it's right that you are so confused and insecure..."

"It's right… I could never call my cowardice right," he mused aloud. 

He swallowed.

He had said too much, he couldn't hold back even in front of another person. He and Senkuu had shared so much, so much that he believed their story was something more, but maybe he was the one rushing. _'Actually Senkuu probably didn't even notice his absence,'_ he thought with a weight on his heart, waiting for Francois to accept what he had said was true.

"It all depends on the point of view. Everyone is the hero in their own story, no one the villain. When you gave that example about the mother saving her son because he is a part of herself, I felt it very close to me. We look for ourselves in the others and when we find it, we are convinced that we cannot leave it. This is probably what unites Stanley Snyder and Doctor Xeno... if I may offer my humble comment on that."

Gen nodded, folding his arms across his chest in his sleeves.

"Sure, Francois-chan! Your wisdom could really help us. And basically I've always considered you a kind of parent figure of the whole crew, Ryuusui-chan's first, of course."

Francois's expression softened instantly thanks to the choice of words Gen had used. Everyone they met often used the word _mother_ although Francois didn't feel it as theirs.

"My job was to care, educate, and serve Ryuusui-sama, to make him worthy of the Nanami empire, but what his family had forgotten was that Ryuusui-sama lived up to his family name from his very first cry. I have done nothing to take credit for. And so it will be when your children are born, if he will let me, I will be lucky enough to be able to look after them as I did with their father."

Francois gave him a sincere smile, putting on the hat they had taken off as they left the kitchen.

"Whatever your plan is, I am sure Ryuusui-sama will do anything to be your ally and not an enemy. I will do the same, I can swear to you... however as far as you said earlier, it is neither me nor Ryuusui-sama the people you should talk to now."

Gen followed Francois's gaze, which was directed towards the small cabin where Senkuu was hiding. 

He nodded but his muscles stiffened so much that he didn't allow any movement.

"Take your time, but if I may," Francois trailed off, waiting for Gen to look them in the eye. "You are never ready enough to face life. Every moment would be different, if you expected more, but if you wait more, the time to enjoy it decreases."

At that moment, if Gen had had someone to talk to during his life, he would have wanted to seek comfort in Francois, feeling safer to tell them his every fear, but a mentalist could not reveal his emotions lightly. 

He just had to remember that he was Asagiri Gen, the best mentalist in Japan and in the old and new world. 

_**Emotions were his weapon, not his weakness.** _

And this was the occasion to prove it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♤ The part of stars and the moon I write by myself but the part about the frog and the hot water is a fable about how people ignoring problems until It's impossible to fix the situation. But actually is better explain on 


	28. Z=186 Boy talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukasa raised the bar mounted on the door and opened it for Ryuusui.
> 
> "If you need to, scream," he whispered into his ear, after stepping aside.  
> "Don't worry, it's just a chat," he replied, biting his tongue before saying something he would regret. It was just a chat and not between friends. 
> 
> Stanley wasn't his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ♧ The title is a reference to the chapter 11 because It's turn of Stanley to talk with someone. While the whole part of Stanley and Ryuusui is based on what Gen told to Stan and Xeno in chapter 5. Their first meeting happened in chapter 8. I forgot something in this ff because I have too much ideas for other stories too lol
> 
> ◇ I took a bit for updating because I'm very slow and I'm sorry if someone is reading this story for daily updates (because I wanted to update it daily) but this story is taking my soul more than other ones. I update this but every 3-4 days. Thank you for who is still here ♡
> 
> ♤ Next chapter: SENGEN REUNION 💚💜😭

Gen had been the last person Francois spoke to, but when Kohaku walked into the kitchen and she said she had to bring dinner to two prisoners, no one stopped her.

She had waited for Kirisame to prepare the tray for the two boys and she had taken it without even trying to make conversation with her friend. Kohaku was afraid that Gen would suddenly come out and stop her, although her intent was to help.

She went down to the cabins and found the corridor empty. The doors to the rooms were closed and as soon as she got to Stanley's she couldn't help but notice that a beam had been added to prevent it from being opened from the inside.

 _'If Stanley had only wanted to, he would have run away by now,'_ Kohaku thought as she stared at the beam with more anger than she should feel. It was as if they had built a fence for an animal and not for their most precious hostage.

Xeno would not have been happy with such treatment, she found telling herself, even though she did not really care about Xeno. He had ordered Senkuu to be killed and, shouting from the other end of the phone, promised the same bloody fate to them all. Stanley was Senkuu's material killer, but in his case, Kohaku couldn't stop thinking if he didn't take offense at being treated that way. She didn't know what Gen had in mind now, but she didn't want Stanley to believe that she had turned away from him spontaneously.

She didn't have to care, it didn't change what Stan had done to be there in that room.

Although he had treated her gently when she needed it most, Kohaku must not lose sight of her own goal: avenge Senkuu and save everyone.

Gen's plan, which she now considered too confused and unsuitable for her, was still the only plan that could bring Xeno to ruin without him even noticing it, she couldn't ignore it.

She would do whatever Gen wanted for their good.

She moved one foot forward to pass the door behind which Stanley stood, but Tsukasa came out the next room, making her jump.

Despite his massive body, Tsukasa's every movement was incredibly quiet.

Only Kohaku's quick reflexes kept the bowls from spilling to the floor. Her fingers had gripped the edges of the tray tightly.

"You shouldn't be here," Tsukasa greeted her. "Gen said you don't have to see the prisoner for today."

"He's not the only one here who eats," she replied, straightening her back. 

For a brief moment, she pretended that Tsukasa was Xeno.

Gen had recommended that she make an effort to appear elegant and authoritative and this was perhaps the right occasion to practice. "Gen can give whatever order goes through his head, but I'm the one who decides in the end," she replied, staring into his eyes.

Tsukasa frowned underneath his bangs, but said no more.

"This is for Max and Carlos, Yuzuriha asked me if I could bring it here," she explained as she walked away from the door and passed Tsukasa. "It's the third room, right?"

The boy nodded, but made no sign to help or stop her.

"Was it Gen who ordered that the bar be added to the door?"

Tsukasa didn't look at her, maybe he didn't even want to answer her.

"Many have gone to pay their respects to Senkuu, or are on break. Ukyo just came back and he said already had dinner. He put the prisoners in a single cell so as not to move to check them. They've already caused a mess this morning. Instead I look at this girl and the other guy. Gen said someone would take care of _that one_ ," he finally said, gesturing more than once to Stanley's door. There were few people there, which was why the security measures had changed.

" _That one_ , as you call it, is why we're still alive," Kohaku said proudly. Every time she tried to convince Gen that she should kill Stanley, he'd replied that way. "The most important prisoner that Dr. Xeno cares about most can neither be starved nor tortured, I hope you keep that in mind. Besides, his absence from the castle is enough to hurt him."

She turned without waiting for Tsukasa to grunt at her statements.

Kohaku didn't knock on the door, she only pushed it with a light blow of the hip.

Before her, she found one of the scenes she never expected.

Ukyo and two men were sitting on the ground playing with the cards Kohaku recognized from the poker game.

"Um..."

Ukyo jumped to his feet to help her with the tray which he passed to the two prisoners who in turn could not take their eyes off Kohaku. However, they remembered their manners and bowed their heads in thanks.

"Thank you, Yuzuriha was sorry she couldn't help me," Ukyo commented as soon as he made sure Max and Carlos had started dining.

"Aren't you hungry?" Kohaku asked. 

Max and Carlos were very different from Stanley. She didn't think the men who lived across the ocean were so different. She wondered if Xeno looked more like Stanley or Max and Carlos.

She only noticed afterward that she was staring at them and looked away embarrassed.

Ukyo smiled at her.

"We ate together a few minutes before, are you hungry?"

Kohaku shook her head. 

"It was a stupid question, but it sure we will be later," she murmured in response.

Ukyo sat down beside the wall, straining his ears in such a way as to hear if the two prisoners were saying something while they ate. 

Kohaku grinned to encourage him.

_'Guarding two people was certainly more tiring than guarding one... if that one person hadn't been Stanley Snyder.'_

She had thought of him again, unwittingly, it was a curse now.

"I'm going then," she greeted and when she tried to cross the threshold, she saw Tsukasa removing the bar from Stan's door and behind him, there was Ryuusui who had two bottles in his hand.

Kohaku came back and pressed herself against the wall. 

She knew Ryuusui would go down, but seeing him enter the room in her place stopped her.

She put her ear to the wood. 

She had to hear it, she had to hear Stanley talking to Ryuusui, she had to hear what Gen wanted to communicate through Captain Nanami.

Gen probably would have summarized what they had said but she had to hear it by herself, if she had been the one to witness their meeting, there would have been no ignored words.

It was someone else who spoke behind her, but she didn't understand any of the words he murmured to her.

Soon another voice was added to the first one, and then Ukyo's. Kohaku turned to him to find out what Max and Carlos had said.

"Carlos said that if you have to eavesdrop, you should use a glass upside down against your ear to hear better," Ukyo quickly translated. Kohaku felt stupid for not thinking about it. In the village she had seen Minami and Ruri sometimes spying on someone in that way, looking for some juicy gossip through the wall of the huts, or rather her sister Ruri was trying to change Minami's mind but she was incredibly strong when it came to gossip.

Kohaku took a glass from the table, made sure it had no water inside, turning it upside down, and used it as the prisoner had suggested. She couldn't hear anything.

"Then they both asked if Luna was in any danger since you're spying on her," Ukyo continued, catching her by surprise.

Kohaku straightened her back and pressed the glass to her chest.

"I know it! I was doing a test! I've never spied on anyone like this!" She muttered apologetically, blushing. She had no reason to do it and was just wasting her time. She leaned out the door and saw Tsukasa walk away from the door and Ryuusui was gone.

"Come on, we have to hear what they say!" Kohaku urged Ukyo who looked at her as if he had seen a mythological creature suddenly come to life in front of his own eyes. His surprised expression didn't last long to be replaced by a more condescending one.

"Listening is my only talent, but now I'm busy, I'm on guard duty," Ukyo replied and even though he hadn't pointed at anyone, it almost seemed that with his tone of voice he had highlighted the presence of Max and Carlos unaware of their exchange and still worried about Luna.

Kohaku was agitated and could not think clearly under pressure. The prisoners, however quiet, could not remain alone. Together they could have agreed on a plan and tried to escape.

However, there was also Luna in the next room, controlled by Tsukasa, who was more cautious than usual.

The longer she waited, the more she lost what Ryuusui was saying to Stanley.

For a single second Kohaku wondered if Stan would talk about her, if at least her absence seemed strange to him, if he asked where she had gone.

It was absurd, it was better to think about hearing their speech without delusion.

"I have an idea, follow me," Kohaku ordered him and went out into the hallway. But Ukyo made sure to briefly explain that Luna had nothing to do with the girl's agitation. "Tsukasa, change your guard with Ukyo," she commanded the other who turned at the sound of her confident footsteps.

They approached each other without adding anything else. 

Kohaku knew the power of silence and had no reason to succumb.

"Why? Are there problems with the prisoners?"

"Luna is a girl, it is right that there is a girl to help her."

The boxer looked at Ukyo who had remained at the door of the other cabin waiting for someone to replace him.

"Ukyo is not a girl."

"Excellent spirit of observation," Kohaku chirped. "I need him to translate."

"I also know English, I can translate for you," he replied promptly as if he had been educated by someone - that rat of Gen - to quell Kohaku's every initiative.

_Speaking of Gen..._

"Tsukasa, Gen told you not to let me go to Stan, right? He didn't tell you to disobey my requests... You know for the sake of the plan, it is vital that you change the guard to Ukyo. When Gen will explain everything to you, I'll take care of that in person to answer your question."

Tsukasa, after a few interminable seconds that had made the girl sweat cold, crushed by the weight of waiting itself, nodded.

He entered in the cabin where there Max and Carlos were and Ukyo closed the door.

Kohaku noticed that he had his bow and quiver with him. The boy, catching her gaze, smiled.

"I brought them in in case something happens. We don't know if Stan can escape or do anything to Ryuusui. An arrow could slow him down," he explained and, although Kohaku looked away immediately, he added, "I certainly won't use it, it's just a security measure."

When she opened the door to the second cabin, Kohaku entered the room and completely ignored the girl huddled in the corner. Compared to that granted to Max or to Carlos (she didn't know whose that cabin really was), the space available to her was little. Even Stan had more. However, Kohaku was not interested in these details. She walked to the wall, lifting the glass to hold it against her ear.

She could hear noises, but she wasn't sure if they were already talking or if they were still silent. What she felt loud and clear was her heart that seemed to have leapt in her throat.

"Ukyo!" She whispered, turning behind her. He had not yet approached the wall. The boy was trying to understand why Luna was in that state.

He had hidden his weapon and knelt beside her, waiting for her to look at him.

It was clear that he was doing that, either extending a hand to help her up or pointing to the blankets that were abandoned on the other side of the room. Kohaku didn't understand English, but Ukyo's kindness was a universal language. But she couldn't wait for him to calm her down.

"Ukyo! Please!" Kohaku urged him again. She felt a little sorry for the prisoner, but every moment Ukyo was away from the wall could mean losing information.

She checked, adjusting her glass again, that they were indeed talking and a low murmur confirmed that they had started. The voice, though muffled compared to how she was used to hearing it, was Ryuusui's. She couldn't make out a single word, not because of the glass but because - Kohaku noticed after a few minutes - he was speaking in another language too, obviously English.

The girl began to consider learning it, especially if ignoring it meant losing a lot of information or forcing someone to mediate for her every single time. She should have learned to write it too, since the memory of the island was still alive in her mind, but it was boring to sit down and write the same marks on paper every day.

"Ukyo!" She whispered his name again, fearing that if she raised her voice again the men on the other side of the wall would hear her.

She did not turn to look, but from the noises she was catching - louder than those she would have wanted to hear - she sensed that Ukyo had finally managed to gain Luna's trust.

Finally the boy reached her and put his ear to the wall.

Kohaku and Ukyo looked into each other's eyes in the light of the lantern that illuminated the tiny room. 

Luna watched them without asking questions. They didn't seem interested in her, she was in no danger and above all, they were less threatening than her previous guard.

She remained silent.

"Ryuusui is telling him that he is fascinating," Ukyo summarized, without changing position. His eyes were wide. "Stanley said something I can't understand," he murmured and looked away from Kohaku's face for a moment. "He also said he should say his woman to be more professional." 

"His woman? Which woman? But who said it, Ryuusui or Stan?" Kohaku tried to inquire and to hear those unknown words too. 

At least the names were the same and above all, she might have recognized their voice. It was just a little information, but she could not ignore it to understand who he was talking to. 

_'If Ryuusui had said, who was the woman of Stan? Or worse if Stan was who had said it... who had seen? Who went to his place for lunch? Or was he thinking that she was Ryuusui's woman?'_

Kohaku felt the stomach upside down as if she had received a fist there.

She remembered Ukyo's words of that afternoon. It wasn't true that she wasn't afraid of anything. 

Losing someone she cared about scared her a lot, more than what she could express with her own voice.

\---

It was the first time since they had granted the rooms in that corridor to the prisoners that Ryuusui had gone down to the cabins.

In his hands he was holding the bottles that Gen had been so concerned about giving him.

A beer had a small amount of alcohol in it, so it wasn't its alcoholic power that the mentalist was aiming for. It was more of a gift, as ice cream had been for Luna, to captivate Stan, even though no one could ever believe they could convince a soldier to betray those he loved for a single beer.

Gen had not talked about betrayal and he had also appeared offended, but Ryuusui - although he understood what the other meant - it was easier for him to think that it was a real betrayal. Obviously if Stanley had given in.

However, Ryuusui didn't know Stanley or Xeno as Gen, so he couldn't disprove his opinion with sufficient evidence.

Tsukasa raised the bar mounted on the door and opened it for him.

"If you need to, scream," he whispered into his ear, after stepping aside.

"Don't worry, it's just a chat," he replied, biting his tongue before saying something he would regret. It was just a chat and not between friends. 

Stanley wasn't his friend.

Ryuusui entered the room as Tsukasa closed the door behind him and found Stanley sitting on the ground.

Next to him were several cigarette butts.

They told him Stan smoked, but he didn't think so much. The room stank of smoke and for Ryuusui, who had never smelled it until now, it was easy to do it in that moment.

He suppressed the urge to wave his hand for air.

"Hi Stan," he greeted him, choosing to speak English to put him at ease, but he was still silent. "Shall we have a beer together?"

To that question, the man took a single glance at the bottle he could see from his position, and then looked back at the wall.

"We met a few days ago, I'm Captain Nanami Ryuusui and I'm here to talk to you before dinner. I don't think ther..."

"Captain…" he repeated with so much contempt that he seemed to be about to spit out every word. "Is this the title you bought with daddy's money?" He chuckled. "Captain Stanley Snyder, a **real** captain," he replied. Ryuusui did not take up his provocation, letting him speak. "After ice cream, also beer, do you want to open a bar by chance?"

"We already have it," Ryuusui retorted. "It's where Senkuu was when you shot him."

Stanley was not intimidated.

"Keep that crap as well. If you want information from me, a beer will certainly not be enough."

_'Did he mean that he would speak?'_ Ryuusui thought but he was still not convinced. It seemed only an attempt to delude him. Stanley was a captain and as such he would not have been convinced that easily. However, Gen had insisted so much on trying to persuade him.

"Beer is not the only thing I can offer you in fact. We have not only opened a bar, but I have also started to recover my daddy's money that has been lost due to petrification. The Nanami empire will come back stronger than before and I hope you're still alive to witness it."

Stanley didn't even deign to look at him now. Ryuusui left his beer beside him and sat against the wall in front of him.

"In addition to telling me things I don't care about," Stanley took the word finally. "Why are you here?" 

"To drink together, as I said... and also to talk about your price." 

Stanley' shoulders relaxed. He nodded. It was as Gen had said, he was waiting for him and certainly would not take their proposal seriously. 

"You will be used to buying anything, but I'm not in the catalog." 

"We all have a price." 

"You too?" He replied but Ryuusui was not surprised. 

"Of course, I have it. We all have it," he confirmed again. "But I have more experience as a buyer than in the other role. I don't like to leave others the chance to choose for me." 

"Then I suppose that the Empire Nanami will not arrive the day of its rebirth. Xeno won't allow you to be so arrogant when he will take power." 

Ryuusui remained silent, evaluating what he could say. Gen had told him about the description he had made him to Xeno and Stanley and their impressions. 

Xeno wanted his talent for navigation and Ryuusui wanted to avenge Senkuu for their (attempted) murder. No one would ever want to have Xeno as their dictator, but Ryuusui couldn't tell it aloud to his more violent.

"Taking power is easier than keeping it. What if someone is stronger than him in managing the people? Not everyone is cut out to lead... whatever his reasons for wanting the world were, there will always be someone ready to fight him."

"Xeno has nothing to worry about. I'm there for him," Stanley replied and for the first time since he entered, he lifted his chin and looked into Ryuusui's eyes. "I can take out anyone who gets in the way of Xeno and his goal. I can and will, in fact I always have."

"Bound in one of the cabins of our Perseus, you won't have much chance of facing his enemies, the enemies of his world, don't you think?"

"This rope won't hold me in place forever and when it happens... you will notice it."

"You'll go back to Xeno," the other speculated.

"Or maybe he'll come here," Stanley corrected him with a glint of pride in his eye. "Do you really believe that he is waiting for my return without doing anything else? He probably has already planned something to hit you. Xeno doesn't shoot like I do, he prefers to use his head and maneuver whoever responds to his needs. When you least expect it, he could be here ready to kill you all."

Ryuusui didn't take his eyes off him, on the contrary, he walked over to him and took his beer. He handed it to him.

He had trusted Gen's plan and certainly, even the mentalist expected that Xeno would try to get Stan back.

He had no reason to give up. A captain didn't let anyone scare him.

"But he's not here now, is he? Shall we drink? It's a shame if your first beer in more than 3700 years isn't cold anymore."

Stan's eyes moved quickly. 

His threats fell on deaf ears and now he wanted to poison him.

"Drink it first. You're pushing too hard to give it to me."

"You're provident, Stanley Snyder," he muttered but took a sip from his bottle and passed it to him again. "I should be offended by your lack of confidence, but... I want to have your mentality, your talent. They fascinate me."

Stanley ignored his comment. He took the bottle and looked at it carefully.

At the end of his examination, he put the bottle a few millimeters from his mouth and took a cautious sip. Ryuusui waited for the beer to make him more grateful to him, but it was a vain wait.

"I had thought of a nice beer every now and then, but the petrification has taken away many things from us."

Ryuusui nodded. 

His completely spontaneous comment was welcome. Maybe he would give in if he offered him something that might really interest him. _But what?_

He stared at Stanley as he drank. His lips wet with beer, his lashes too long for his bright eyes, his lantern-lit skin as if it was kissed by the setting sun. Stanley was really handsome, like all men, but Ryuusui could not ignore that in comparison with him, many were overshadowed.

"I didn't look at you well the other day. You're particularly attractive," Ryuusui told him, taking a long sip too.

The corners of Stan's mouth heaved in a grimace of disgust as his fingers wiped away the condensation that had formed around the frozen bottle.

"Is there anyone on this ship who isn't a degenerate pervert? I understand your raging hormones, but you shouldn't bother your most important prisoner like that. If you're a real captain, you should be more professional and you should tell it to your woman too."

Ryuusui wanted to laugh, but he had said those words to hurt him.

"By the way, I know you didn't behave well with Minami. I hope you aren't like this when you want to win someone's heart."

Stanley didn't answer. 

He preferred to drink.

"Only those I want to take for me know how I behave in those cases," he whispered after a few minutes during which Ryuusui was about to lose hope of hearing him speak again.

"How lucky they are! We are on this ship too, dear Stanley. There are so many boys and girls you could have, if you agreed to stay with us."

"Is that your way of answering me about the fact that you are all perverts?" Stanley retorted. The man looked at him and finally said what he had meant since the door had opened and Kohaku had not entered in the room. "I think the girl who came up this morning is the most decent here, too bad she's gone..."

Ryuusui knew women and men as much as he knew the sea. _Both were fiery and mysterious for who couldn't read them._

"Ah, are you talking about Kohaku?"

Gen had said not to mention her, but it was Stanley who had spoken about her first, as if he was interested in finding out what happened to her.

And everything that interested their leading prisoner interested him too.

Ryuusui looked at him carefully, but Stanley would never be fooled. He remained silent.

"Our Kohaku... don't you think she is extremely beautiful?" He asked, setting the bottle on the floor. It was time to list everything they could offer him. However, Stanley continued not to speak.

"Don't you think she's beautiful, do you?" He pressed Stan after a few minutes, trying to get an answer.

It almost felt like a fear reaction… as if he didn't want to expose himself.

Stanley was convinced that he must try to find another topic of conversation as soon as possible. The bottle in his hand still weighed too much to tell him he finished it.

"Kohaku is… a really beautiful girl," he finally agreed. If he admitted it, Ryuusui would stop insisting.

The memory of what had happened a few hours ago would have embarrassed him if he were as innocent as she was. The virgin princess would have turned incredibly red at that question and probably buried her face against his chest. Or she would have punched him for putting her in that situation.

Ryuusui's eyes shone and not just from the reflected light from the lantern. Gen would have appreciated this information… _or maybe that was what he expected._

_The wave of realization hit Ryuusui._

_The mentalist had specified that Kohaku was untouchable for him, only for him, not for others like Stanley._

_'What did Gen have in his mind?'_

"Incredible, I didn't think it was possible, but you are even more handsome when you smile," he commented, but after hearing it, Stanley's lips returned to a flat line. "Women, men, money, weapons that we could build just for you, other ships for travelling around the world... you could really get a lot if you just told us your price... except Kohaku, she is untouchable."

_'Untouchable?'_

Stanley narrowed his eyes, repeating that word in his head, even though it wasn't what should have affected him about his speech.

Fortunately, however, Ryuusui could not read minds.

"A man, however firm, should understand that repeating something after receiving a clear no can only make the situation worse," he replied and leaned forward. "Xeno is all I need and I am all Xeno needs. You and your perverted friends are never going to make me give in."

Without waiting for his answer, he drank from the bottle until it was empty. He ran the back of his hand over his mouth to cleanse it and placed the bottle on the floor.

"I'm done. You can go."

Ryuusui twisted his wrist, swinging his bottle as he looked him in the eye with a grimace that Ryuusui himself would have called it irritating.

"I'm not done yet. Or maybe there is something you are afraid that I may use against you?"

Stanley chuckled.

"I am a man, I have my weaknesses too, but you will never be able to use them against me. On the contrary, I am capable of using anything around me as a weapon... I don't think you want a practical demonstration."

"My instinct," Ryuusui replied, continuing to spin the bottle without reacting to his threat, "tells me that you will probably say what you want to make the right choice."

He stood up and brought the bottle to his mouth. The last drops of beer ran down his throat.

"You can call Tsukasa and tell him that you need to talk to me when you want to accept my proposal or when you want to see me again. I am the captain of this ship and I want everyone to be okay when they are here."

"Pff... it will never happen," the other man snapped, looking away.

Ryuusui also picked up his bottle and walked to the door.

"People change, they grow thanks to what they see and feel. Unlike you, we never thought of fighting you. Senkuu's death could have been avoided and everything that happened before. Thanks for the plane you attacked us on when we arrived, I hope you don't mind knowing that we have it now..."

Stanley didn't look up or even try to answer him.

"Soon they'll bring you your dinner. I guess you've run out of cigarettes... for those I have to ask someone else to make them, but as long as you are our guest, you won't miss anything."

Stanley shrugged. 

He didn't want to devote his time to a little boy's promises.

Ryuusui passed the bottles in one hand and opened the door.

He turned to the prisoner, who gave him one last absent look.

"Also... Captain Stanley, one day I hope to be able to speak to you as a free man and not as a prisoner, in a future where we are all on the same side."

The door closed behind him and Stanley leaned back against the wall.

"You dream big, Captain Nanami," he muttered to himself, having many new words to ponder about.

\---

Kohaku stepped away from the wall and placed the glass on the table. It was too late to repent now, but she shouldn't have forced Ukyo to listen to them.

The boy looked at her, but didn't translate the last part.

"I heard my name... what..." Kohaku whispered to him.

"Er... Ryuusui asked him... he said..."

"What?"

She had hoped that Stanley would think of her, but as soon as she heard her name spoken by Ryuusui it had had the opposite effect on her.

"He asked Stanley if he found you very beautiful... er... I don't know why," Ukyo said but added quickly: "obviously you are, but I don't know why to ask him."

Kohaku knew this, and considering she hadn't told Gen about the last few hours, that rat probably - _because he was a rat_ \- had seen to get that information differently.

"I don't know," she muttered. "And what did Stan say?"

Ukyo shook his head.

"I lost his answer, sorry... now they are talking about something else... Ryuusui is convinced that Stan will look for him to ask him what he wants in return, I think to go over to our side. I also hear the noises of glass."

"The bottles, maybe?" Kohaku suggested, but the weight on her heart did not go away. She really wanted to hear his answer.

After a few minutes, Ukyo moved away from the wall and Kohaku preferred not to ask more. She had already forced the boy to indulge her too much. Not only in that cabin, but also the hours they had spent together before.

"Thank you," she said aloud and Ukyo touched the brim of his hat, giving her a quick nod.

She was grateful to him for meeting him once outside Stanley's cabin and the free time Gen had given her was now more than worthwhile for her. 

She needed to be alone and forget Stan once and for all.


	29. Z=187 Nothing else matters, only us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> However, the tears he was now about to shed had no real reason. He would have wept with happiness because Senkuu was alive - Francois had admitted it - but also with relief and fear together. 
> 
> Senkuu would never stand still in front of his enemy; as soon as he recovered he would certainly run to Xeno to fight him. It was a scenario that Gen had to quickly change.
> 
> And to do so, he needed to insert the key to open the door and go inside.
> 
> ➳❥ In the next note the recap, don't miss it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After two months and 4 days, finally a new chapter of my longest ff or it will be because probabily it will be very long. Anyway a little recap to remember the most important events in the story that after chapter 160 is going very different from the canon source.
> 
> Pre(other fanfiction chapter slow updates)viously on "Things we do for love":
> 
> \- Senkuu is killed but actually not. And this happens in every arc of the manga, but at least here he has a bit of psycho-physical consequences. Especially with his nightmares about mother and Byakuya. Have you noticed how no one talked about mothers here? What a pity.   
> \- Xeno is a real villain but actually in the manga not. In the manga extra file he also has a very long name but in this ff his name is Xenophilius and the surname will never mention for the plot reason. Xeno, I'll treat you better than the canon source. At this point, Xeno is mad and he is waiting for Stan's return and wants to kill all the japanese guys. "Peace is never an option".  
> \- Stanley is too pretty to put it in words and for this reason makes Kohaku's heart goes bump bump.  
> It was too funny in my head, sorry.   
> I mean that he makes her ***.  
> Sorry, too vulgar.   
> \- Kohaku is training for Gen's still secret plan even if in the last chapters, she is struggling for her feelings for Stan while Ukyo finally gets both time screen and a sad backstory.  
> \- Kohaku and Ukyo eavesdropped Ryuusui (who Gen sent to) and Stanley conversation but they didn't understand anything. Kohaku maybe realized she had the Stockholm syndrome (if she would ever know what it is) and decided to not see Stanley anymore... but she is the Joker - or better say the Queen - of Gen's evil (or fair, it's depend by the point of view, honestly) revenge plan... what will happen?   
> \- Ryuusui's nerves are too more high than Xeno's forehead but luckily for him Gen isn't stupid and now he is about to see again his Senkuu-chan so finally Ryuusui has less weight on his shoulders because the real important person there is Gen, who cares about other secondary characters?  
> \- Kudos to the readers who start to read the first day this ff and to who is reading this without any waiting, my heart is yours! ♡   
> Note for the newest readers: I love you all too! And if in early chapters you noticed something out of character is because at the time there aren't all details we have now.

The sun had disappeared beyond the horizon and the cold was more intense now during the evening.

Ryuusui wasn't going to be in Stan's cabin forever and soon he'd be back to check on Senkuu. Gen knew it too well, but every time he tried to knock on the door, his hand trembled so much that he couldn't do it.

The small key that Francois had given him to open the cabin disappeared between his fingers but its metal had become hot and wet from the prolonged contact with his palm. Gen blinked and rubbed his half-closed hand against his kimono, being careful not to drop that piece of metal that was more important than anything else at the time.

He gritted his teeth against his will and the stress of the last few days nearly got the better of him.

He remembered when he wept in front of Ryuusui, Stan and Tsukasa. His tears then served as a frame for what he had meant to Senkuu's killer to further emphasize how angry they could be about his choice to shoot him.

However, the tears he was now about to shed had no real reason. He would have wept with happiness because Senkuu was alive - Francois had admitted it - but also with relief and fear together. 

Senkuu would never stand still in front of his enemy; as soon as he recovered he would certainly run to Xeno to fight him. It was a scenario that Gen had to quickly change.

And to do so, he needed to insert the key to open the door and go inside.

His fingers tightened around the underside of the metal as if he had clung with all his might to it. He turned it in the lock, causing it to snap. He closed his eyes as he raised his hand against the wood, but did nothing else. It was stupid to want to knock, but he was not Francois or Ryuusui, he had no right to enter that room.

His stomach twitched so hard that Gen doubled over, fearing he would throw up at any moment.

It reminded him of the first time he was forced to perform in front of millions of people. Although the anxiety that assailed him then and made him almost pass out in the dressing room was less pressing than that moment.

Yet as in the past, Gen would have won against his own fears.

Finally his hand hit the door twice and twice more. Nobody answered, as he had expected, but Gen was not intimidated.

He removed the key, lowered the handle and closed his eyes.

He knew Senkuu, he knew what he could say, being able to foresee his words, but the boy he would find in the small cabin was no longer the same one he had left at the ship for his mission.

Risking their own life changed a person and someone as rational as Senkuu may not have yet been able to accept his emotions and the price he had paid to stay alive. 

Even Senkuu could be greeted his presence with annoyance, and although Gen could not wait to see him, if he had noticed Senkuu's dissent, it would have hurt him almost like having lost him forever.

Ignoring his thoughts that had revealed too much what he feared he had become, what his heart had held up to that moment, Gen pushed the door and turned to close it behind him without there being the slightest chance anyone could spy on them.

His hands started shaking, in fact, they never stopped. His breathing had become heavy, filling his throat.

But it was so close to what he had hoped for.

Now all he needed to do was raise his face and look behind him to get the answer he was looking for, the denial of the chain of negative thoughts that had held him more violently than Xeno.

He only had to make a little effort.

But even before he could look at him, he felt Senkuu move on his bed, lifting his face to check who had entered.

The young scientist realized even before the door had opened that it was neither Ryuusui nor Francois who had reached him. The footsteps of the new guest had been more hesitant than those of the other two who moved quickly once they got to the cabin so as not to attract the gaze of others to them and the secret they were protecting.

Senkuu's lips curled into a smile that disappeared as soon as he realized that the mentalist was still turning his back on him. He could not say his name before the other had said his before, he could not make him frighten, if Gen actually had entered that room for something else and not for him, even if it was impossible that among all the cabins, he had entered precisely in the closed one. He had had the key, he knew he would find Senkuu there. Yet Gen still didn't look at him, as if he had already forgotten him, as if he were about to retrace his steps.

Senkuu knew that Ryuusui and Francois would never betray his will and above all that Gen would try in every way to understand if he was still alive. Even after hearing Xeno gloating over his triumph, Gen would never give up hope. The mentalist was there because he understood it for himself. Senku gave him a satisfied smirk, even though he had slept so much that he lost track of time and hadn't seen Gen before, putting him to the test. However, Senkuu believed in the mentalist and his abilities. 

He had always done it.

Maybe Gen had taken longer to get back to him as he was caught up in his plan against Xeno. Senkuu found himself thanking the nightmares about the family he didn't have for distracting him enough from feeling neglected by Gen. It was absurd that he found himself thinking like a person in love with the mentalist even if he had never devoted any energy to its research. But yet...

Both Senkuu who couldn't stop staring at Gen's back and Gen who couldn't turn around knew full well that they would meet in that cabin and return to each other, regardless of past time and obstacles in their path. They were mutual final destination.

Senkuu was not the type of empty words and conjectures that people interpreted as signs of destiny. What he believed in was science and hypotheses that could not be verified by experiments. At that moment only Gen's voice, the only one who knew the truth, despite everything, was his ultimate proof against that strange feeling that was animating him.

Senkuu needed to hear it. 

A word would have been enough to understand if Gen had arrived in that cold room for him, to understand if the mentalist had not forgotten him. Senkuu's muscles could not help but contract in a spontaneous smile. Gen could never forget him, there was no risk, there was not any possibility. It was then that Senkuu realized that his hands were trembling.

"Senkuu-chan."

It was a sad whisper that reached Senkuu's ears, but it was enough to make him sit on the sheets, lifting himself up with his arms trembling under his weight. His body had become accustomed to forced rest and weakness from his condition. His every move was slower than he would have liked.

The confirmation he had been waiting for had arrived.

Gen turned to him.

It hadn't changed at all.

It had been weeks since their separation and days that they thought would never end, but they were facing each other again.

He blinked, watching Senkuu try to get up and the bandages wrapping his chest.

He stifled a groan.

Ever since Xeno had screamed for victory, ever since he had looked at Gen with his eyes devoid of compassion, the mentalist had hoped that Senkuu was alive, that the bullet hadn't actually even touched him. However Senkuu had seriously suffered and judging by his expression he was still suffering.

Gen's lips were trembling, but they were trying to smile.

Senkuu was alive and would soon be back on his feet. His plan was not infallible, but if it had saved time - in the worst of epilogues - he would have guaranteed the person closest to him and to be saved once again.

"Senkuu-chan," he repeated louder this time, tripping over the vowels, colliding with the consonants in a silent struggle to scream out his emotions. His voice had died away, but not his eyes that were regaining the splendor of when he was with Senkuu, illuminated by his light, again and again.

"It's really you," he sobbed. Gen should have been used to the weight of his tears, but each time, he couldn't ignore them as they drew little curves until the neck of his clothes were wet. The weight of the days gone by, the pain of losing him, and the hope that Stan had missed his target for once was melting like snow in the sun even though he felt colder in that room. He sniffed. In a few minutes it would be harder for him to breathe due to his crying, but he didn't care. The light from the lantern flickered before his eyes as did the rest of the room and Senkuu's form still standing on his bed.

"Mentalist, you have no reason to react like this, I'm not dead. Of course it's me."

As soon as Senkuu finished speaking he wondered if it was too hard but seeing Gen's tears and hearing him murmur his name like a prayer wasn't what he wanted for him. He did not want to cause more pain in his village, among his people.

As soon as he saw him open his mouth, Senkuu expected Gen to counter offense at his words, but in reality the mentalist emitted a strangled sound that soon turned into a painful laugh. His fingers alternated in order to collect the tears along his lashes without allowing them to reach his cheeks and lips.

It wouldn't be the first time Gen tasted his own tears anyway.

"Forgive this sentimental mentalist, Senkuu-chan..." he sobbed. His shoulders slumped with difficulty, his legs barely bent as if to find the balance he needed again. "I know you don't love feelings and everything related to them," he continued, "and the first thing I did as soon as I saw you... was..."

Gen could not speak. 

His lower lip was trembling so much it blocked his jaw. He tried to look up, but he couldn't.

"I-" Senkuu looked at him with his mouth ajar, waiting to see what he wanted to do. He was smiling unwittingly.

Just knowing that Gen had gotten excited about talking to him had calmed the tumult in his chest. However, he still did not try to speak.

"You'll think I'm pathetic, that feelings aren't made for you..." Gen cried, swallowing. "Sorry, Senkuu-chan, my beloved," he chuckled and let the tears roll down his face. "It wasn't supposed to be like that, what a failed mentalist I am."

Gen wrapped his arms around himself, refusing to hide the fact that he was crying. He had done this often in the past. Sometimes he enjoyed not being noticed when he was crying, it was still one of his talents. Prevent his emotions from getting the better of a person who was trying to save the entire crew. But in that cold room, in front of Senkuu, he wondered if he had ever had a chance to lie to him.

After this umpteenth experience, he should have retired from the scene as a mentalist.

Just as he was about to recover and stop crying, Gen saw Senkuu stand up and walk towards him. He walked over to keep him from getting tired, but from the way Senkuu clung to him, it was clear that his legs were still weak to walk.

"My head is spinning," he whispered against his kimono.

"Senkuu-chan, keep your eyes closed, now I'll help you," he said as he held him up. Gen led him to his bed and even though he tried to get him to lie down to rest, Senkuu insisted on getting his back to the wall.

"Bastard, you made me stand up," he muttered, leaning his head against the wall and pulling Gen next to him. "In a few days I'll be as good as new," he reassured him even though the mentalist was afraid to count how many weeks would pass before he would return the man he knew. His hand came down to Senkuu's neck, sliding his fingers through his damp hair.

"Sure, Senkuu-chan! I never doubted it, my darling," he replied. 

Even though Senkuu was standing against the wall, the warmth of Gen's body, which he had so desired in the darkest hours, drew him towards the mentalist. He dropped against his chest, almost knocking Gen off balance and he swayed to the opposite side. 

Gen managed to restrain himself and wrapped his arms around Senkuu as he had wanted to do since he had known him.

He stroked his hair, wondering - without stopping to smile - if he wasn't bothering him, feeling the shadow of anger and sadness burn within him at how they had treated him. His smile became a flat line, a pout that became more and more menacing as the seconds passed. 

If Gen needed to persuade himself to continue his revenge, it would be enough for him to look at Senkuu and his injuries, physical and mental.

They were being procured by unscrupulous people who Gen feared might one day hinder Senkuu's path towards the return of all humanity.

His extremely unfortunate - but capable - Senkuu had been in danger of dying from everything Gen had received bad vibes from since their arrival and the pilot's plane entry. He had always thought he was incapable of hating someone, but apparently he could do it all too well.

Gen could never forgive Xeno and Stanley, despite the fact that he had between his arms the person who would not have agreed with him, if he had also had the talent to read his mind.

"Senkuu-chan," he murmured. His fingers moved from his hair to his cheek. He was warm. For endless days he had believed that he would say goodbye to a cold body upon his return. Luckily, only luckily, it had not been.

Gen stroked him again, unable to believe his own hand. Senkuu was with him, he was there.

Alive.

Senkuu would recover soon and he - Gen - would be by his side.

Always.

Senkuu did not stop him, on the contrary it seemed that he was slightly tilting his head to better feel the palm of his hand go up along the cheek to the hair and then come back. He did not even hide the smile their contact had caused.

Gen hesitated then.

His stomach was twitching from what only he could call remorse. He wanted to be next to Senkuu, now and forever, but the idea that he could take advantage of his momentary weakness made him feel dirty. 

Ever since he realized he loved his best friend, he had promised himself never to use his mentalism to manipulate him and now it almost felt like he was doing it involuntarily.

Although hidden in that cabin in secret, the field was being prepared outside for the most dangerous of wars.

Tsukasa, when he was opposed to the realm of science, was not fully aware of the power and possibilities of science, Xeno did and unlike the strongest primate in the world, Senkuu's mentor was willing to use it to his own advantage.

Yet hiding in that cabin while making sure Senkuu was comfortable in his arms, Gen couldn't ignore that Senkuu truly felt something for him and that perhaps he - the cold-hearted mentalist - deserved to be loved too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ➳❥ Selfpromoting time:   
> If you want to read something else of mine, you can find several only sengen ffs, one of the reason why I was not updating this story: [Chapter 168 is the evil reincarnated so I fix it](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26821921/chapters/65436130) and [Chapter 171.5](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27860373), a Xeno x Kohaku missing moment. I know that everyone ships him with Stan and Kohaku with a lot of people and please give them a possibility pls (I'm begging, I didn't want to beg lol). Thank you, to the next chapter! ♡

**Author's Note:**

> ◇ Please don't forget to leave a comment if you like this, or if you want to tell me something! You also can find me on twitter with the same pen name ♡


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